Bear and Birdie
by CrimsonRae
Summary: AU Howard only ever had Birdie to confide in as a child and Steve only ever had Bucky. So, what happens when more than just a supersoldier serum connects these people? Told in a collection of one-shots and flashbacks, rating subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay here is the new chapter. I finished it quicker than I anticipated - more because half the chapter was already written. I hope that many of you enjoy the changes. Any feedback would be fantastic as I go through the process of changing this story around. I'm going to try and stay true to as much of the original content as possible - it just may be presented slightly different. I hope you guys enjoy.

Disclaimer I own what is mine

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **1935 Brooklyn, New York**

It was quiet.

But...it wasn't the world is just silent right now quiet. It was heavy, just shy of tangible.

James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky to his friends, frowned at the silence unsure why the quiet unsettled him that morning. The sun drifted through the cloudy windows of Saint Catherine's Lost Home for Boys in a hazy laziness that only seemed to add to the heavy silence of the lobby. It was almost oppressive. He bit back a sigh as he turned his attention to the paperwork he needed to fill out, lightly twirling a pen through his fingers as he read.

Official release documents – at eighteen-years-old James Barnes could no longer and would no longer be considered a ward of the great state of New York.

Bucky had known this day would come, had known he would have to say goodbye to the only stable home he ever had. He had thought he would feel angry about this day or maybe sad. He had thought he would feel something more than a slight dread and muted indifference. Maybe it was the fact that he knew the orphanage could never be a true home, a place to come back to when life became too much as he grew older. Hell, when he had arrived he hadn't intended to stay as long as he had, it was just…it was just the world seemed to have other plans for him.

If he was being completely honest with himself, the orphanage had stopped being home over a year ago. Maybe that was why he felt so indifferent to this whole process.

The lack of funding that Saint Cat's had received in the past few years had caused Bucky to ease away from the system long before it was ready to release him. The parish fought for every penny to feed and dress the growing number of children under its care. Yet, he hadn't felt right taking those meals and clothes when he knew he could take care of himself. He had spent his spare time working odd shifts down at the docks and at various diners in the area. Whatever work he could find he would take. He probably would have dropped out of school, if not for his entirely too lecture-friendly best friend - Steve Rogers would drag him off to class whenever necessary. James smirked, he had graduate by the skin of his teeth and he knew it. School was for the smart cats like Steve, not dumb bastards like him.

Not dumb bastards like him.

The paperwork seemed to glare up at him in stark black and white confirmation of that thought. James sighed resignedly, not entirely sure where his head was at as he finally lifted his hand to scrawl messily across the bottom of the page.

It was official now – he was no longer a lost boy, only a lost man. He snorted quietly, somehow that seemed far worse.

A muffled cough disturbed the oppressive silence and made Bucky blink up from his release papers directly into the sad green eyes of Sister Madeleine. He had forgotten she had been waiting for him to finish. The old Sister seemed to fade into the framework of the lobby. Always a part of the structure, but infinitely her own. Bucky pushed a small smile to his lips as he handed her the papers. Neither seemed to want to disturb the odd silence of the lobby as they waited for the other to speak. They didn't have to – the sound of shallow steps and a light grunt caught their ears as they turned toward the hallway entrance. Bucky nearly rolled his eyes.

"Stevie, what're you doing?" James sighed tiredly as he watched his best friend trudge into the lobby of the orphanage carrying a duffel that was almost as big as him.

The shorter blonde sent James a pointed look that said he shouldn't be surprised. In truth, Bucky wasn't. He had half-expected Steve to show up at the boarding house with a room key already in hand. In their almost decade long friendship and adopted brotherhood there wasn't much that Steve Rogers could do that Bucky didn't see coming, "You didn't seriously think I would stay here with Richie Long and Herman Dutt, did you?"

Bucky didn't even blink at the mention of Steve's long time tormentors, knowing it was a smokescreen. He merely quirked a brow, "And here I thought you three had made nice."

Steve snorted, "There's making nice and then there's being friendly, Buck." He paused as he ruffled through his coat to pull out paperwork that looked suspiciously like the documents that Bucky had just signed before handing them over to Sister Madeleine, "Sides, it's not like I'd be staying here much longer."

Bucky frowned as Steve glanced at him with a sly smile and certain spark in his blue eyes. Steve had at least another ten months before his release papers would need to be signed. He pursed his lips in question when the light bulb finally went on, "You got it. You got the scholarship."

Steve nodded almost shyly and Bucky just about crowed. Somehow, Steve had managed to graduate a year early with Bucky. James hadn't questioned it. He knew how determined his best friend could be and that he was smart enough to understand all the extra work. But the scholarship to Columbia...The scholarship had been a goal of Steve's since they had started high school. Bucky knew it had to do with a promise Steve had made to his mother before she passed...but Columbia.

Suddenly, leaving Saint Cat's didn't seem as unsettling. He grinned widely at his friend as he snatched his duffel up from the ground. Once again forgetting Sister Madeleine's presence as he nudged Steve in the shoulder, "This calls for a celebration. Let's go get some breakfast down at Mel's."

"We can't afford Mel's." Steve stated dryly as he followed Bucky's lead, unable to keep his small prideful smile from his lips.

Bucky just chuckled, "I think Cassie is working this morning. She'll get us something. We're celebrating Stevie. Man, you just got into Columbia. You'll be rubbing elbows with the blue-bloods soon enough."

"God, I hope not." Steve muttered amused. He tried not to shake his head at Bucky's excitement. He hadn't even been that happy when he received his acceptance letter, but it was good to see that smile. He hadn't seen Bucky smile at much lately. Swallowing tightly as the duo stepped outside he reached into the side of his bag and pulled out an envelope, "Here."

James frowned curiously as he took the wrinkled envelope. There wasn't paper inside. The contents too bulky and hard in his grasp, "What's this?"

But even as he asked, his fingers were prying open the flap to let loose two brass keys. He knew these keys. Steve almost fidgeted in place as he met Bucky's sharp gaze, "Aunt Mabel never sold Mom's apartment... just packed up and headed home to Oklahoma after...well after. And we need a place, so."

"Stevie..." Bucky started, unsure what he wanted to say, but knowing he should say something. Sarah Rogers had died in her apartment after a long drawn out battle with a sickness that he could barely understand. He couldn't see Steve living there...not after everything, "We can find another place."

"Like where, Buck? The boarding house you've been going to?" Steve pushed stodgidly, "A roof is a roof, right? I can deal."

"The boarding house ain't so bad." Bucky murmured tiredly, because he couldn't quiet see Steve living there either.

Steve shrugged, he wouldn't admit that he didn't want to live in his mom's old run down box of an apartment, but he also wasn't ready to sell it yet. He hadn't even finished going through her things and she had passed over two years ago, "The apartment ain't so bad either, jerk."

James had a few reservations about that statement, but he wouldn't fight about it with Steve. Not now, maybe not ever. Instead he rolled his eyes and slung his arm around Steve's shoulder, "So, how long have you known about the scholarship, ya punk?"

"A week."

"A week? You didn't tell me for a week? You really are a punk, you know that?"

Steve snickered, "I think you'll get over it."

"Nah, we have a week worth of celebration to do now." Bucky said boastfully as he pushed his thoughts and Steve's away from Sarah Rogers.

Steve nearly rolled his eyes as he held in a groan. He had a week of Bucky trying to drag him out to a club or with a girl now. It wasn't the worst fate in the world, but he was sure it would be the most exhausting. The two sniped at each other as they walked. Their feet automatically moving where they needed.

The duo made it halfway to Mel's Diner when Steve snorted and nudged his friend, "Hey Buck?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

* * *

 **1935 Kingston, New York**

It was an unbearably hot morning. The sun seemed to be reminding the world that it was a giant ball of burning gas. Well maybe not the world, but the heat was definitely making its presence known to the small group segregated in a cemetery just outside of Kingston. Elena Turner stifled a sigh as she tried not to tug at the sleeves of her mourning dress. The satiny material didn't breathe and was beginning to cling to her skin…she wished the preacher would talk faster, this farce of a funeral needed to be over. She felt her cousin shift uncomfortably next to her and knew that he too was becoming impatient. She couldn't help, but turn to look at him. His eyes were glazed red and glaring miserably at the wooden coffin perched before them. He had foregone any pretense at being composed and was pulling clumsily at his collar.

Elena supposed it was for the best, Howard was supposed to be playing the role of the grieving son. She doubted that anyone, but herself and a few servants, knew that his pallid complexion and bloodshot eyes were the result from a night of drinking in celebration, rather than crying in sorrow. He was beyond hungover and the strange heat was doing nothing to make him better. She only hoped that he wouldn't do something incredibly…stupid.

"Stop fidgeting." Elena warned quietly, "There are more than enough people staring at you."

"I think I'm going to throw up." Howard murmured uneasily as he continued to pull at his collar. He could care less about the people watching him. He had spent the past week in a wild state of relief, shock and horror and it was almost over. As soon as the coffin was in the ground, he could move on.

"Please don't." Elena said with a small grimace, "I told you not to drink so much last night."

He rolled his eyes and instantly regretted it as the sensation of a million needles pierced his skull, "How was I supposed to know it would be such a wretched morning? Isn't it supposed to rain at funerals?...God, I'm dying."

"You're not dying, you big baby. Besides, I think the world is rather happy that your father is no longer in it, I know I am." Elena muttered lightly as she watched the preacher finally close his bible and step back from the coffin to let the gravediggers have access.

Howard nearly cried in relief at the sight of the slightly grungy men, "Give me a break. The only person mourning daddy dearest is your mother."

As if the woman in question could hear his words from across the aisle of folding chairs, Vitoria Turner, sister of Howard Stark Senior, let out an awful screeching sob. Elena was sure the entire congregation cringed at the sound as she tried to hold back a groan of disgust. She could see her older brother, Fergus, quickly coming to her mother's aid with a handkerchief. It wasn't even eleven in the morning and already the day was too long.

"Think she'll still be crying when she finds out that father left her out of his will?" Her cousin murmured amusedly as he watched the spectacle his aunt was making.

"Yes, except then the tears will be real." Elena muttered dryly as she turned her attention back to the lowering of the casket. She honestly didn't want to think about her mother receiving that news. The woman was intolerable on a good day; on a bad day, Vitoria Turner could make Satan cry, "Can I stay with you when that happens?"

Howard sent her a sympathetic look, "Do you even have to ask, Birdie? You're always welcome in my home." He tugged at his collar again, "My God, what is with this heat? It's barely even May. I swear this is my father's doing. He's making sure I'm miserable even when he's gone."

"Don't say that!" Elena whispered harshly as she went pale at the thought of her uncle still having any influence on the world.

She sensed Howard's sharp eyes studying her and suddenly felt her stomach roll with silent shame. He hadn't been the only one to have a tumultuous week. She had been bouncing between the same emotions he had, the only difference was that Elena knew they would not be able to move on as easily as her cousin seemed to think. Her eyes drifted back towards the rectangular hole in the ground, and suddenly, her dress wasn't the only thing unable to breathe. What had she done?

As if he knew what she was thinking, Howard quickly grasped her hand and squeezed her fingers. Her blue gaze quickly snapped to him, but all Howard could do was shake his head. Don't fall apart now, he was silently trying to tell her. Not yet.

"Where's that flask you snatched this morning?" He whispered instead, no longer meeting her stare. If he had, then he would have seen the exasperated disbelief that sparked in her blue orbs.

"I'm not giving you anymore alcohol."

Howard bit back a smile as he heard the annoyance coating her voice. However, he hadn't been asking for the flask for himself to use, but for her. Elena could use a little alcohol to calm her nerves. He turned to explain this to her, but was only able to get his mouth open when another resounding screech was heard from the other side of the aisle as the mourners began to stand for final farewells.

Elena glared at him, "If I have to deal with my mother sober, then so do you."

Howard wisely kept his mouth shut and stood to receive the forming line of condolence wishes. Suddenly, he wished she had given him the flask. In a perfect world, he would not have had to arrange a funeral at the age of sixteen. His eyes drifted toward the now lowered casket that had induced Elena's minor panic moments before, but then he should not have killed his father either. His hands went clammy and the headache he had been nursing all morning seemed to become even more unbearable. He just needed to get past today. A moment later, he felt Elena come to his side. Her hand lightly tapped his elbow to let him know that she was there if he needed her. He smiled gratefully at her.

"Uncle Leo is here." Elena whispered as he began to shake hands, "He'll take us back to the house once we're done here."

Howard nodded his understanding as he spared another glance toward his father's grave. As he glanced back at the mourners, he caught Elena's gaze. A look of grim understanding passed between them.

No one could know.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay so I worked on this most of yesterday and today. I'm releasing it way earlier than I would like and shorter than I would like, but this update is to make up for the fact that I'm going to be swamped for the next week and a half and an update would be unlikely or impossible at the end of this week. Hopefully, that makes sense. I'm happy to hear and see that many of my readers are coming back for the reboot. I hope to hear from all of you. Any feedback or thoughts is more than welcome. Thank you to FortuneFollower, peoplers, and thbeezekneeze for reviewing. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **1926 Kingston, New York**

Elena was not a fan of the color red. It was too bright…as if the color was screaming to be noticed. Yellow was similar, but there were many shades of yellow that could range from horribly ugly to timidly pretty. Howard would tell her that there were many shades of red, like yellow, but red had to stay bright to be red. Too light it was pink and too dark it was almost black. She couldn't help but think that it was because of her dislike for red that she didn't like cherries. Almost suspiciously, she used her fork to prod at the slice of cherry pie her father had given her. It was her reward for not misbehaving during the picnic. The cherry filling was shiny and oozed from the buttery crust into the bright light of the sun. The dark crimson that shone from its dark depths was illuminated to show an almost fire engine red. She wished she had misbehaved now.

"Birdie?"

"Hmm?" She paused in her examination of her pie to turn wide blue eyes on her cousin. Howard looked unusually pale and her normally boisterous playmate had been rather subdued during the picnic. She didn't have to ask him why. His lip was split and he had been favoring his left side while they played. He had bruises again. Not that she could see them, but she knew….she was eight, not stupid.

"I don't feel good." The young boy mumbled, his hand clenched the edge of the picnic table as he leaned forward.

Papa had given him a slice of pie too. Unlike her, Howard had eaten almost all of his. Elena dropped her fork onto her plate and grabbed her cousin's free hand, "Go sit in the shade. I'll be right back."

He held onto her hand as he clambered off the wooden bench before sluggishly ambling toward a shady willow tree. She watched him go with worried eyes before moving away from the table and toward her father. Elena nearly sighed in relief when she saw him talking with her Uncle Leo and Fergus instead of her Uncle Howard. She didn't want to explain to her papa that Howard was sick if her Uncle Howard was close. Elan knew a bully when she saw one and her uncle was most definitely a bully. She slipped in between the two adults and gently tugged on the white cuff of her father's sleeve until he gave her, his attention.

"Pigeon, you keep pulling like that and you'll pull my shirt right off." Samuel Turner teased as he slipped his cuff from his daughter's grasp. He gave her a soft smile that she returned readily as she looked into his twinkling blue eyes…blue like hers.

"Lord knows we wouldn't want that." Leonard Turner quipped, "Your father's pasty skin would blind us all, Ducks. And I need my eyes, thank you."

She tried not to grin as her Uncle Leo smiled innocently at her father's glare, but was largely unsuccessful. Though her smiled nearly turned into a frown as she saw her father opening his mouth to retort. The last thing she needed was for the two brothers to start bickering with each other. They would forget she was there and then she would have to wait an eternity to get her father's attention again.

"Papa!" She cried hastily before a sound even left the man's throat.

The same wide eyed stare she had given to her cousin was now being directed at her, "Yes, Pigeon?"

"Do we have any water?" Elena asked quietly, knowing that all she had been able to drink was the lemonade that Aunt Annalisa had brought to the picnic, "Howard ate his pie too quickly and doesn't feel good. I think he needs some water."

There was a pause and Elena didn't miss the solemn looks that her father and uncle exchanged as her brother snorted, "That kid's a walking train wreck. It's amazing he can get out of bed without hurting himself."

She glared petulantly at her older brother, "Shut up, Fergus."

"Elena, you don't speak like that to your brother." Samuel said sternly, not liking the distaste in his daughter's expression, "And Fergus, you should know better than to say such things about your cousin. You're sixteen, not twelve."

Neither sibling said another word, instead choosing to just scowl at each other. They missed their uncle's smirk of amusement and their father's exasperated stare as a result of their childish actions. The glaring contest lasted another minute before Fergus rolled his eyes and strolled off to find someone else to speak with while Elena's wealthy upbringing showed through a little as she sniffed disdainfully at his departure. Her uncle choked back a laugh as he watched the snobby display come from his eight year old niece before she turned baleful eyes back on her father.

The older man sighed and tapped his daughter's nose, "I think I can scrounge up some water for Howard. Why don't you go sit with him while I do that."

"Okay." She quickly agreed before scurrying away. She missed the concerned gazes that followed after her.

When she made it to the willow tree, she found Howard curled on his side. He had his face pressed into the cool grass while he tried to take steady breaths. Elena bit her lip as she watched her cousin. She hated it when he was sick. She never knew what to do to make him better.

Sighing quietly, she plunked ungracefully down next to him and began to run her fingers through his hair, "Papa is getting you some water."

Howard rolled his head back and smiled gratefully up at her, though Elena could only force a smile in return. He must have bitten his lip at some point and cracked open the split he had, because now she could see a small stream of blood trickling down his chin. His shirt had risen up a little as well and she could just make out the hint of dark purple flesh that coated his side while a streak of puffy red skin was exposed. The belt. She averted her eyes, but tenderly wiped her hand over his lip and chin to get rid of the blood.

"Howard." Elena whispered tearfully.

"I'm okay, Birdie. Promise." Howard whispered back.

"Liar." She responded lightly, worriedly.

She didn't leave his side for the rest of the picnic. More content, than Howard to spend the time in the shade of the willow tree.

Neither cousin noticed the close scrutiny they garnered from Samuel. Elena's father watched the duo in concern. It wasn't the first time he had seen his nephew with a few bruises. Most of the time the wounds were brushed off as the strict disciplining of a rambunctious child, but said disciplining had been occurring far too often for Samuel's taste and by the grave stare of his brother, Leo's as well. Howard was a curious child, not unruly. As if she could sense his thoughts and stare, Elena met his concerned gaze with one of her own. He smiled faintly at his little girl. She was like a sentinel at the gate as she sat beside her cousin. Nothing would harm Howard on her watch.

Yet, even as the thought crossed his mind, Elena couldn't help but think that she didn't have the power to stop Howard's pain. There was too much she couldn't do for her cousin. As the picnic came to a close, Elena parted from Howard's side reluctantly. She barely noticed her father's own reluctance at leaving Howard in the hand's of his father as the families took their separate paths. As she walked behind her brother, she turned her hand over to see her fingers still stained from Howard's blood. She hated the color red.

* * *

 **1925 Brooklyn, New York**

Grey.

When Bucky looked back on this day all he would remember was grey. The color encompassed everything that he felt and saw. It mared everything and seemed to fill every aspect of his world as it fell apart for the second time in his short eight years.

"Dad, please!"

Bucky rubbed at his puffy eyes as he struggled in vain not to cry. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to be standing on the steps to the cathedral-like structure behind him. He didn't want to feel the bony fingered grip of the black-clothed nun on his shoulder. He knew what this place was – he wasn't stupid. He didn't belong here. He wasn't one of the lost kids. He wasn't! He had his gazed pleadingly at his father. Why was this happening? What had he done?

Bucky watched desperately as Robert Barnes closed his pained-filled eyes as he himself struggled against the all too familiar prick of unshed tears. He knelt before his distraught son as he tried to find the words that would make this all better. It wasn't going to be better, though, James knew that. He didn't need to see the longing stare of his father to know that things would be different. It was the same look his dad had given his mom before the priest had closed her casket. Bucky hated that look, it made him feel like he couldn't breathe.

For Robert Barnes, Bucky was the last person that tethered him to this earth. He was his last piece of his family. It was his responsibility to make sure that his son had every chance at living a better life and part of that was being able to give his son a place to live. Except he couldn't do that anymore. Robert's gaze flicked up to the now horrendously intimidating structure that was Saint Catherine's Home for Lost Boys. The cold grey and brown brick seemed to create a chasm of depression and ill-will in that moment. Both father and son wanted to curse and yell as Robert struggled to let his son go while Bucky fought to hold on.

He was not an orphan. He was not a lost boy.

Except to Robert.

James Buchanan Barnes had his father. He had his father...he wasn't an orphan. He wasn't – Bucky wiped furiously at his nose as he tried to contain a sob with little luck.

He wanted to go home. Why couldn't they go home?

Robert took a shuddering breath as he gently placed his hands on his little boy's shoulders, "I love you, Bucky. I don't want you to ever doubt that."

"Dad…" Bucky had lost the war as he felt the tears racing down his cheeks. His stomach rolled and he was sure he was going to be sick, "Please, I don't want to stay here."

"You can't come with me." Robert said gently as he tried not to choke on his words when really all he wanted to do was snatch Bucky up and run away from the world. He nearly smiled as he saw the spark of anger in his stubborn boy. He looked so much like his mother when he was upset. Robert's heart clenched and he felt his grasp tighten on his son's small frame.

"Why? Why can't I come?" Bucky sobbed, clutching onto his father almost as much as Robert held onto him.

His father lent down and pressed a kiss to his head, "Because it's too dangerous, Bucky. You could get hurt or worse and I can't lose you too. You'll be okay here. You'll have food and you'll have plenty of other kids to make friends with…it's not a bad place."

"I don't care. I want to be with you. Dad please. Please…" Bucky begged, his voice no more than a strangled whisper as his throat tightened with more sobs.

Robert didn't think the shattered pieces of his heart could crumble any further as he let Bucky burrow further into his arms, "Oh my precious boy."

The two rocked together on the steps to Saint Catherine's for a few moments, though it only felt like seconds for them. Robert pulled away and forced a watery smile at his son, "It won't be forever. I promise. And I will come see you in a few days."

Bucky couldn't look up at his father anymore though. Tears streamed down his face like the waters falling over the Niagara. Robert shook his head, this was hell. Feeling for all the world like he was abandoning his child. He had to remind himself that he would only be a few blocks away at the shelter, that he would see his son in a day or two. Everything would be okay…It had to be. He wiped softly at Bucky's tears as he tilted his chin up, "Now, no more of this. I need you to be strong, Buck."

"Please…"

Robert shook his head again, "I'm sorry, Bucky. I have to go."

Bucky choked on his sobs as he watched his father stand and nod to the nun standing just back enough to give the father and son some privacy. He couldn't bear to look up at the older woman and see her pitying gaze. She wasn't his mom. His father felt much the same as he made minimal eye contact with his son's temporary guardian, "I'll be back, Bucky. I promise."

He stepped away to transverse down the stairs. Bucky couldn't help the hysterical cry that left his lips, "Dad, please!"

The nun barely managed to keep a restraining hand on Bucky's shoulder as he lurched forward to go after his father. Robert paused at the bottom of the stairs as he glanced back at his struggling son. He never felt the few tears that splashed down his cheeks unbidden, "Be good, Bucky. I love you."

"Dad!" Bucky cried one last time, but his father was already gone.

The wind blew lightly lifting leaves and debris as he stared after Robert. He barely paid attention as the nun urged him to turn inside the dull brick orphange as he silently hoped that his dad would reappear. Sniffling, he kept his eyes locked on the road. Grey road, grey building, grey sky...it was all just grey.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out as I wrestled a few of the future chapters I want to post. I hope you guys like my portrayal of Steve in this - I know in the movie he's a bit shy and naive around women, but I don't want him to come off as completely virginal. I mean Bucky was his best friend, after all. I want to give special thanks to **FortuneFollower** for reviewing. Please read and review guys. I enjoy hearing your thoughts and criticisms - they provide good insight and ideas.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **1935 Kingston, New York**

"Elena Marie Turner. I forbid you to leave. Unpack your bags this instant."

Elena sighed and tried not to roll her eyes as she finished buttoning her coat. She wearily met her mother's furious gaze as she checked her appearance in the hall mirror, "I'm leaving, mother… whether you like it or not."

"To do what? To attend classes for a degree you'll never use? Your place is here." Vitoria Turner declared with a raise of her chin and for a moment her daughter could see the cold beauty her mother had once been, "Now the Fall Gala is in a few weeks and Mrs. Mallard's son has recently become partner in his law firm. You would do well to court his interest. I was already engaged to your father when I was your age."

This time Elena did roll her eyes as she turned to face Vitoria, "I don't think you understand, mother. In less than ten minutes Howard will be here to pick me up. I _am_ moving to the city indefinitely. I've spoken with Uncle Leo; there is enough money in the family account to keep the estate running for the next five months. I suggest that you find new living arrangements before then. Perhaps you should speak with Fergus."

"Perhaps I shall. At least I have one child who obeys me." Vitoria sniped as she stalked towards her daughter, "You step out of this house and I will disown you, Elena. Is that what you want?"

Elena silently wished her cousin would appear. Her mother had officially grown desperate if she was threatening disownment. Behind Vitoria's outrage, she could see her mother's fear. The money her mother had inherited after Samuel's death was almost gone and since Uncle Howard had neglected to put Vitoria in his will, she had no money coming from the Stark side of the family. Vitoria had become dependent on her children's inheritance to maintain the wealthy lifestyle to which she was accustomed. More specifically she had become accustomed to her daughter's inheritance. Fergus had squandered his within a year of their father's death. For a brief moment, Elena almost felt guilty for leaving her mother and unofficially cutting her off…almost.

The journal that Howard uncovered had been the first of many finds for the cousins. Howard Senior made copies of every letter he ever written and sent and Elena had found those letters bundled in the false bottom of his desk drawer. Vitoria had been more than aware about the circumstances surrounding her husband's death. She had even used that knowledge to make her brother cover Fergus's gambling debts. Elena was not about to forgive that anytime soon.

"Honestly mother, I don't care." Elena smiled bitterly, "I think I'll wait outside."

She made it two steps before she felt her mother's fingers dig into her arm, "You can't do this Elena. I'm your mother for God's sake."

Elena did not even blink, "It's not that I can't. It's that I already have."

The sound of a car rumbling up the drive could be heard from inside the silent house. Carefully, Elena slipped from her mother's grasp and picked up her luggage, "That's Howard. Talk to Fergus, mother."

She quickly stepped outside and placed her bags into the backseat of her cousin's car as he came to a stop. The clicking of heels told Elena that her mother had followed her out, but she refused to acknowledge her presence any more than she had to. Howard looked at her in question, but she shook her head. She did not want to get into it. Her morning had been long enough already.

"You won't last out there. You'll come back to me, Elena. More than likely pregnant with someone's bastard child." Vitoria began to rant, "You're better off here."

Elena continued to ignore her as she slid into the passenger seat. Howard looked furious and it was only because his cousin grabbed a hold of his elbow that he refrained from saying anything or even getting out of the car. She had heard worse.

"Howard…Howard Stark don't you go anywhere, young man!"

The two cousins exchanged a look and Howard placed the car into gear and drove off, leaving Vitoria yelling after the car. He glanced over at Birdie and with a chipper voice asked, "So, how have you been?"

Elena sent him a dry stare but could not help the smile that was curling the edges of her mouth, "Well, mother found out from Uncle Leo that she's being cut off from my finances yesterday. So I've been in hell for the past day and a half."

"And now you've successfully escaped your mother's clutches….We should celebrate." Howard suggested with a grin.

She shook her head at him, "I think you do enough of that for the both of us."

His grin slowly slipped away, "Yeah…."

She smiled sadly, when did everything become such a mess?

* * *

 **1935 Somewhere in New Jersey**

Bucky blinked dazedly as he rubbed at his cheek. His skin was hot beneath his fingers and he nearly winced at the knowledge that he had a pink handprint painted on his cheek. Jesus, that girl could slap.

"Well, that went well."

Bucky frowned as he turned to glance at a smirking Steve. Grumbling, he asked, "Why'd we come to Jersey anyway?"

There was a pause as Steve rubbed tiredly at the back of his neck as he thought over the past few days. He raised a pointed brow at Bucky as he stated dryly, "You wanted to celebrate and somehow breakfast turned into drinks and then it gets a little fuzzy."

"Fuzzy's one word for it." Bucky muttered tiredly as he cheek throbbed in time to the hangover headache he was nursing. In truth, he remembered a good deal of the past few days. A mix of celebrating his eighteenth birthday and Stevie's acceptance into Columbia. It was one of the few times he had been able to cajole his best friend into drinking more than a pint. He smirked quietly to himself – he'd never miss out on a drunk Steve, "Though I do recall you and Julie were havin' a good time."

Steve flushed red at the reminder of the pretty brunette that had been kind enough to sit with him after a bumbling dance attempt. He had lost track of time in the bar as she engaged him in a lively discussion on the Public Work's projects and the artistic style that was arising from the governmental art. He had never met someone who was as interested in the current policy as she had been – not that they had talked just about art. He grinned slyly as he recalled the way Julia had stolen a kiss...talking had become limited by that point. Ruefully, he wished he had gotten a phone number or an address from her before she had disappeared into the night. It wasn't often that he met a girl that truly liked him or that he liked in return.

He sighed almost wistfully, "Julia, not Julie."

"Close enough." Bucky returned with a shrug, he had been around for the first few bits of Steve's interaction with Julia and had rolled his eyes before slipping off to dance with a few girls himself. Somehow, he had lost track of his friend or was it that Steve had lost track of him? A thoughtful frown flitted over his features as he remembered becoming entangle with a girl – Sally. He grinned before the throbbing in his cheek reminded him that Sally hadn't taken too well to his advances in the daylight, "Did ya get her number? You two seemed to be hittin' it off pretty well."

Steve shook his head, "No, didn't get the chance. We should be headin' back, Buck."

Bucky pursed his lips, unsure if he should press the issue of his surrogate brother's dating habits or move on. He already had one headache; he decided he didn't need another one. Yawning tiredly, he nodded his head, "I don't really remember how we got here. And I'm not sure either one of us has enough money to make it back to Brooklyn."

Steve paused, "I thought you held back a few coins to get us on the train back."

Bucky snorted, "Did I do this before or after I had a few?"

"Point taken." Steve muttered drolly, not remotely surprised by his friend's actions, "Hitchhiking?"

"Hitchhiking." Bucky agreed as he swung his coat through his arms and tugged on his cap. The balmy Summer had turned into a brisk Fall and it seemed as if both Jersey and New York would be feeling a bitter Winter. It wasn't a pleasant thought to have now that both Steve and himself were out of the orphanage.

He would need to check out Mrs. Rogers old apartment for heat and sealed windows when they got back. He and Stevie had only been able to stand a few minutes inside the old apartment before Bucky felt the urge to leave and by the almost dourful glint in Stevie's eyes, he wasn't far behind. The impromptu trip to the bars and subsequently New Jersey had been more for distraction than anything else. Despite the memories the flat brought up for both boys, it would now be their home and as such needed to be able to bear the brunt of a New York Winter...or at the very least keep the boys warm and provide a decent place to rest for when Steve would inevitably become sick.

Bucky swallowed tightly – without the orphanage they would need to find a new doctor and pharmacy. He could already see the bills for that piling behind his eyes as he felt an uneasy fear slither through his gut. The image bore too much resemblance to a time when he was younger and the doctor's bills had piled before his father. Silently, he swore to himself that he would never let things become that bad. He loved his father, but he wouldn't become him.

"Buck?"

James blinked as he realized that Steve had been calling him for sometime. A concerned spark glittering in his surrogate brother's eyes as he stood next to someone's farm truck, "You okay?"

Bucky was quick to smile as he pushed old memories back into the depths of his mind, "Nothin' a little hair of the dog wouldn't fix."

Steve rolled his eyes, "I don't think I want to see another drink for a week. Come on, I got us a ride."

"Yeah, yeah – I'm comin." He muttered as he reassured himself that they would get through this – things weren't bad yet after all.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know It's been awhile. I've been super busy. Here's is chapter 4 (this is more of a rearrangement of what was originally written. Plus I 've been having Steve and Bucky feels lately). I hope you all enjoy. Please read and review. To: my **4 Guests, Cat, SailsAway52, Artie, Ghost, and JoJo** thank you for reviewing. I always love to hear from you guys.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 **1936, Brooklyn, New York**

Bucky rubbed at the back of his neck as he watched the snow fall. It had to be one of the heaviest snowfalls he had ever seen and as more and more of the street was buried under the fluffy flakes he felt his stomach harden with dread. He never used to feel this way when it snowed. In fact, winter had been one of his favorite seasons as a kid. Snowball fights, sledding and giant snowmen were things he had looked forward to, but then he met Steve. Tiny Stevie, who loved winter as much as he did, but could not physically tolerate the harsh cold as well as Bucky.

A wheezy wet cough filtered through the apartment, causing Bucky to wince as he listened for the gasping breaths that would soon follow. He swore Steve was allergic to winter. It never failed. The cold would come and the cough would start and then the snow would fall and the fever came…every year like clockwork. This year, however, Bucky had prayed that Steve's inevitable sickness would not come. It was their second year out of the orphanage, but the first year that Steve would no longer be able to go to the nuns for medical help. At eighteen years old, Steve Rogers was officially too old to use the free medical services the church had provided for all its orphans. Though, Bucky had a feeling that many of the nuns would turn a blind eye for his sickly friend if he did show up at the clinic, but Steve was all about following the rules and would not take the services that were needed by the other kids. It made Bucky want to tear his hair out.

Heaving a sigh, he turned from his place at the window to go to his friend's room. Hopefully, he could convince Steve to take the blankets from his bed. One night in the cold wouldn't hurt the brunette. The sight that greeted Bucky when he entered was worse than he had anticipated. It seemed as if the cough and fever had come to welcome Stevie at the same time this year. The smaller man was curled up tight on his bed, his cheeks flushed with more color than Bucky had seen in a week while a slight sheen of perspiration glimmered in the low light of the room.

"Jesus Steve." Bucky murmured quietly as he moved to pull the thin blankets tighter around his friend.

"I'll be fine." Steve muttered weakly, as passive embarrassment fluttered over his face. The hacking cough that suddenly wracked the blonde's small frame belied his words.

Bucky bit back a sigh as he silently cursed his friend's pride. He couldn't help but wonder just how long Stevie had been feeling this ill. Over the short span of their lives, Bucky had come to learn that while Stevie was exceptionally honest about most things, when it came to his health he could hide anything until it became too bad and he had no choice, but to collapse. The brunette quickly left the room to grab the blankets from his bed. Stevie could shove his stupid pride.

"Bucky-"

His name was the only form of protest that Steve could utter when he came back into the room with the extra covers, before he silenced his friend with a glare, "Did you pick up your medicine from the drugstore?"

Bucky wasn't even sure why he asked, Steve never got his prescriptions filled. By the hesitant look in his friend's eyes, he knew that Stevie hadn't done it this time either.

"Stevie…" Bucky sighed, suddenly feeling more tired than he had any right to.

"We don't have the money, Buck." Steve defended quietly, no longer meeting Bucky's gaze, "Eating is a thing, you know?"

Bucky bit back a curse as he realized where the fresh milk and bread in the kitchen had come from…spare money, Steve had told him, "Stevie."

Steve nearly flinched at the harsh growl of his friend's voice, "I'm fine, Bucky."

"No, you're an idiot. Jesus, Stevie that money was for your medicine, not food. We can always find money for food." Bucky lectured not sure if he was more exasperated or angry.

"There just wasn't enough for the medicine, the price was raised again. I figured that what we did have would be better spent on food." Steve sighed as he tried to ignore the cough building up in his chest, "It's not a big deal."

"Yes, it is, Stevie. You should have said something about the cost." Bucky muttered, now sure he wanted to shake his friend. Didn't Stevie understand just how terrifying it was when he was sick? Some of what he thinking must have shown on his face as Steve glanced at him sorrowfully.

"I'm not gonna die from this, Buck…promise." Steve said softly as he tried to banish the look of abject worry from his friends face.

Bucky just snorted and shook his head, "Damn straight you won't or I'd have to bring you back to life and kill you, myself."

"Please -" Steve wheezed out, "Like you could take me."

The boy's eyes met briefly before they both broke composure and grinned. Bucky rolled his eyes, but pushed his ever flowing concern to the back of his mind, "You're still an idiot and you're missing the first snowfall."

"You mean that white, fluffy stuff? Seen it." Steve muttered dismissively as he held back a yawn.

Bucky noticed his drowsiness anyway, "Go to sleep, Stevie. You're making me tired."

"Yeah, yeah."

Bucky watched silently as his friend drifted back to sleep. His fingers sluggishly ran through his hair while he listened to Steve's labored breaths. It was going to be a long night. Despite, what Stevie said, he needed the medicine. He always needed the medicine. With practice stealth he left his friend's room and slipped into his dinky quarters to quietly rummage through his dresser drawers. It took him a few minutes to find what he wanted. He paused only briefly before letting his hands wrap around a small cardboard box.

It was a pathetic little thing. The corners had started to wear and the edges were a little crinkled, but it held the last thing Bucky had of his mother and father. Their wedding rings resided inside. He could not bring himself to pull lid off to stare at the shiny circles he knew were there. Instead he grabbed his coat and shoved the box into his pocket. They needed the money.

 **xXx**

"No."

Bucky shifted uncomfortably, unable to make eye contact with portly man before him, "Mr. Parson…"

"No, Bucky." Franklin Parson said soundly as he leaned heavily against the table behind him. His gaze shifted down to the glass showcase of his pawn shop and onto the pitiful little cardboard box that resided on top. He nearly shook his head, he could not believe what the boy was asking of him.

"I need the money." Bucky stated roughly. He shifted again before letting his shoulders slump, "It's the only thing I have with any value."

Frank frowned as Bucky finally met his stare. He hated seeing the desperation in the boy's eyes, but it was the resigned weariness that bothered Frank more. He bit back a sigh as be grumbled to himself, "I'm not buying your parents rings. What do you need the money for anyway?"

Again Bucky looked away, an unhappy scowl painting his face, but Frank waited patiently. He did not get an answer, however. Bucky leaned forward and snatched the box from the counter before heading toward the door. Frank heaved a sigh at the boy's stubbornness, "How sick is he?"

The way Bucky tensed and nearly stumbled was all the answer that Frank needed, though the incredulous look that Bucky shot him was rather entertaining. He raised a mocking brow in response, "This isn't the first time you've been in here to sell something, Bucky. And it's always for Stephen."

Bucky bit his lip, "The price on his medicine was raised. His cough is getting worse and he has a fever."

This time Frank did not bother holding in his sigh before he stood straight to reach for his cash registered. He discharged the cash drawer and removed fifty dollars before pressing Bucky with a hard stare, "You are not selling those rings. You will work here the next few weekends to pay off this loan."

Bucky stared in surprise, his mouth moving soundlessly, "….Mr. Parson…"

"Just nod and say you understand." Frank grumbled tiredly as he waited for the younger man to take the money.

"I understand." Bucky murmured quietly as he slipped the money into his pocket. His smile came out more as a grimace and Frank knew that it was killing the kid's pride to be taking the money, "Thank you."

Frank waved him off in dismissal, "Yeah, yeah. Get out of here and help your friend."

Bucky turned on his heel and made for the door again before he came up short, "Why…why won't you take 'em?"

There was a brief silence as Frank studied the young man before him. He wondered if Bucky knew how much he looked like his father. He found himself leaning back against the table and crossing his arms. Huffing quietly, he smiled, "I wasn't always a pawn shop owner, boyo. I used to work down at Solomon's Jewelers when I was about your age and I remember your father. He worked himself silly to just put a down payment on those rings. He wanted to show your mother he wasn't some schmuck that he could take care of her. It took him almost a year to fully pay for both the rings and I'm not gonna let you throw 'em away. Even if it is for a good reason. When you find yourself a girl, then you can give away one of those rings."

Bucky's smile came a little easier as he nodded, "I'll see you Saturday, Mr. Parson…. Don't tell Stevie."

Frank rolled his eyes, but nodded his head, "Will you just go already, before I change my mind and ask for my money back."

"Yes, sir." Bucky quipped before slipping outside.

"Damn kids." Frank cursed quietly under his breath and rubbed at the back of his neck. He did not know what possessed him to help the kid out, but he suddenly had the feeling he wouldn't regret. He also had the feeling that it would be a long few weekends. He wished that Robert was still alive to see the man his son was becoming.

 **xXx**

If he could reached the handle without putting the bags down... Bucky shifted the weight of the bags in his arm as he approached the front door of his apartment. He didn't want to put the paper bags down, only to pick the crinkling paper up again. It would be too loud and he had no desire to wake Steve. He shifted again, this time hefting his leg up to balance one of the paper sacks on his knee before angling his body caddy corner to the door. He just needed a second to twist the handle. Biting down slightly on his tongue in concentration he shot his hand out and had the door open in a blink before hefting the balanced bag back into his arm. A triumphant grin stole across his face as he made his way into the dingy little apartment and toward the makeshift kitchen. Amusement shined in his eyes as he began to unload the groceries, he should take up a career as a cat burglar.

He chuckled quietly to himself and finished putting the food away before removing the medicine for Stevie. His smiled dimmed slightly as he grasped the cold glass bottle. A bittersweet reminder on how he was able to afford the groceries in the first place. His smile turned rueful as he realized that Frank had probably given him more than enough money for just that reason. Fifty dollars. Bucky had been able to get Stevie's medicine, some much needed food, and paid for the electricity and heating for the next few weeks. The apartment would be comfortable enough for Stevie to recover. He owed old man Parson big time.

"Buck? That you?" Steve's hoarse voice called from his bedroom.

The sound of shifting cloth and squeaking hinges reached Bucky's ears before he had a chance to reply, "Yeah, it's me. Got your medicine."

He made it to the bedroom's threshold before Steve had even made it halfway across the room. A quick glance told Bucky that Steve was already winded and tired. He should be back in bed. The bemused, admittedly slightly suspicious, look in his friend's eyes was hardly surprising, however. He had learned a long time ago that Steve hated being taken care of, he hated feeling incapable, and that little qualm only became worse when he was sick. He would have hell to pay if Stevie ever found out he tried to pawn his parent's wedding rings.

"Where'd you get the money for it?" Steve asked bluntly, knowing better than to beat around the bush with his best friend.

Bucky shrugged and smiled crookedly, "Who said I needed to pay? Susie Wheaton is working at the drugstore now and you know how she's sweet on me."

Steve snorted holding in a cough and rolled his eyes, "She doesn't like you that much."

"I'm wounded." Bucky responded dramatically with a hand clasped to his chest, "You don't think I can charm ole' Sue?"

"I think she hasn't forgiven you for going out with her sister and not her." Steve said dryly. A small smile fluttered over his mouth as Bucky winced at that particular memory, "So how'd you get it, Buck?"

"I managed to get an extra job. It's a temporary deal." Bucky said quietly as he carefully chose his words, "But I'll be working Saturdays for the next few weeks."

Steve sighed heavily, "Bucky…"

"Don't start, Stevie. It's not a big deal. We needed the money and you needed the medicine."

"You shouldn't have to do this just for me." Steve said wearily, a look of self-hatred passing through his eyes.

Bucky silently cursed, "Who said it was just for you? I happen to know of a cute blonde on the floor below us who would be just devastated if something happened to you."

A smile twitched at the corners of Steve's mouth, "Cady's three, I think she'll move on."

"You would leave me to deal with those crocodile tears." Bucky stated sagely as he passed over the bottle of medicine, "Go to bed, you look like hell."

"Love you too." Steve said drolly. Bucky barely made it to the door before hearing a whispered, "Thanks Buck."

"Anytime, Stevie."

* * *

 **Kingston, New York 1935**

The Stark home was eerily quiet as Elena sat stiffly in the great room. Aside from the regular Sunday dinner her family attended here, the last few times she had been inside had been when Howard had come home from school and was throwing some ridiculously lavish party. This place had always been loud and filled with people. Now, her mother resided on the sofa across the room with a handkerchief in hand as she practice her upset face for when the doctor came in with the news of Howard Senior's death. Fergus was pacing about, eyeing the antique furniture. Elena had no doubt he was pricing each item to pawn and cover his gambling debts.

Despite her family's disgusting faults, she could not help but acknowledge to herself that she was now the biggest sinner of the three of them. Her eyes followed her brother's movements as he paused before a particularly nice grandfather clock while out of the corner of her eye she saw her mother gasp and press her hand to her chest in mock despair. She felt the insane urge to laugh…they were all going to hell.

The door to the great room opened and everyone froze, expecting the doctor to come in with the horrible news. Instead, Mika, Howard Senior's manservant entered. He was as impassive as ever as he directed his soulful brown stare on Elena. For one horrifying moment, Elena was sure the man knew what she had done. Her breath caught in her throat as her stomach churned with guilt.

"Mr. Stark is on the phone for you, Miss. Turner."Mika's somber voice resonated through the room.

What – Elena blinked as her mind tried to process his words. Mr. Stark? He was upstairs in bed…dying. How could he possibly be – and suddenly the light bulb went on. Howard, her Howard, was on the phone. She stood quickly, well aware of the eyes of her mother and brother on her as she exited the room and followed Mika to the Stark home office. He paused outside the door and gestured for her to enter. His eyes never left her and Elena felt apprehension crawl through her veins as she gave him a tight-lipped smile and entered the office. He knew, she swore, he knew.

The door clicked shut as her hand wrapped around the phone's receiver and pressed it to her ear, "Howard?"

"Birdie, I'm at the train station. Has he…" The phone line crackled as she heard Howard sigh, "Has he been -"

"Pronounced dead? No." Elena supplied, she fidgeted and glanced at the closed door, "Umm, the doctor is with him now. It's just a matter of when."

There was a moment of still silence and she could just picture her cousin nodding to himself as he tried to figure things out, "Okay…alright…and no one suspects?"

She nibbled her lip as she tried to push away her paranoia, "I don't think so…but, Howard?"

"Yeah?"

"Just…" she hesitated, "Just get here, okay? I feel like I'm going to lose it soon."

"I'll be there in an hour, Birdie." He replied quietly, "Just be you and if something happens…lie. You're the better liar of the two of us anyway."

She rolled her eyes, "You're so comforting."

"Aren't I?"

Elena could practically see the smirk playing on his lips, but despite his stupid remark, she felt a little better. The brat probably knew it too. She huffed a little, "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, I promise I'll be there."

The phone clicked and the dial tone hit her ears. Elena sighed and rubbed at her face. It was going to be a long day.

Her blue eyes drifted around the room before landing on her uncle's globe. Two bottles of booze resided inside, she knew. Her fingers twitched, she rarely drank before five. A personal rule of hers after being surrounded by so many drunks: her uncle, her mother, her brother, and at times her cousin. She was making an exception today. She knocked the cover of the globe off and pulled out a bottle of whiskey before snatching out the drinking glass. After a pouring of two fingers and a deep gulp later, Elena rested back in the office chair and allowed the warmth from the alcohol to soothe her. That was how Howard found her an hour later as he came striding into the office. He barely raised an eyebrow at the open bottle and simply found a glass for himself. He poured them both a decent amount of liquid before holding up his glass.

"Cheers." He knocked back the glass without even flinching before pouring himself another.

Elena tapped his leg, "Slow down. You can't be drunk for this."

Howard grunted in acknowledgement and slid his glass onto the desk, "Hiding?"

There was beat before Elena realized what he was talking about, "My family is driving me nuts. I'm pretty sure they've put a price tag on everything in the house. Your call gave me the chance to get away."

Howard snorted, "Has your mother completely forgotten that her brother has a son? Me?"

"You're sixteen. She thinks she can overrule you like she does Fergus." She pressed her glass of whiskey to her forehead, "This is insane."

Elena could feel her cousin's eyes boring into her, but she did not want to meet his pitying gaze.

"You didn't have to do it, you know?" His voice was a low, barely a gruff whisper, "I was more than willingly to handle this myself."

"Oh, please." Elena scoffed as she finally met Howard's gaze, "It would have taken years for you to do this by yourself. You're only home from school during the holidays and summer and 'he' always makes sure he has a business meeting to attend so he won't have to see you. It was easier for me to dose him. I'm here every weekend after all."

He could not hold her steely gaze for long. Howard looked away frustrated, he knew she was right. Ever since his father had sent him to boarding school two years prior, the man avoided him like the plague. To be honest, the arrangement had suited Howards just fine. He no longer had to explain the bruises that would mysteriously appear on his face, he no longer had to listen to his mother quietly weeping as her husband took her to task again. But then, he had lived with the thought that when his father had sent him away that his mother had finally taken the chance to leave. He had deluded himself into thinking she was living the high life somewhere on the west coast…far from harm.

His gaze sought out the bookcase across the room. On the second shelf, two books from the left, resided a secret cache that held his father's personal journal. The man wrote down everything in there…and Howard had found it. Seven months ago. That had been when he found out the truth. His mother had never left as he had thought. She tried, but his father…. His stomach churned and he closed his eyes as if to block out the words he had read.

Howard Senior had written down where he had buried her and Howard Junior had dug her up.

Annalisa Stark had rotted away in a shallow grave in some obscure cove off on the property with no one the wiser. He glanced back at Birdie to find her already watching him. She had to drag him away from the sight of his mother's body. She tried to protect him, but not even his cousin –his best friend could make that nightmare disappear. Annalisa Stark was not the only family member his father had killed either. Howard's hand reached for Birdie's. He was avenging his mother, Birdie was avenging her father.

"No one can know." Howard whispered.

Elena gave him a baleful look, "I wasn't planning on making the fact that we've been dousing your father with arsenic the past few months' common knowledge."

He scowled lightly at her as she took a sip from her glass. She sent him a fake smile, "Besides I wouldn't look good in prison stripes."

Howard snorted and took a drink himself.

Howard Stark Senior died three hours later. The doctor diagnosed it as weakened immune system brought on by the pneumonia he suffered almost a year previously. He had been sick quite often after that illness struck him. Never really recovering his old strength. No one suspected that he had been poisoned.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So, I was going to stick with the way that I originally had these two meet, but this was more fun and I wanted to show another side to Howard. Thank you for the reviews. I'm really enjoying the feedback. I always like to hear feedback and thoughts - gives me ideas. Thank you to: **aPaperheaRt, Guest, Cat, JoJo, and FortuneFollower** for reviewing. Really appreciate you guys!

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 **1937 Queens, New York**

"Hey lady, are you sure you want to be let out here? It ain't exactly a nice neighborhood, you know?"

Elena's eyes pulled from the darkened street to meet the worried gaze of her cab driver. He was nice as far as cab drivers went, smart too. He had picked up that she wasn't from around these parts. Her clothes while simple were well made and clean. Her hair curled and pinned. She presented a well kept facade – a complete contrast from the world outside the cab. She offered him a rueful smile as she gazed out to the club she was to enter. A few men lollygagged outside, smoking and generally just shooting the breeze. For a moment, she contemplated how the night made men seem more sinister.

She sighed, "Yes, this my stop."

The driver opened his mouth to question her again when she opened her purse and handed him his fare, plus a tip. He sighed quietly to himself as he thought of his Millie coming to a place like this by herself. It didn't sit right with him to let out this nice girl. She'd be eatin' alive, "Look, do you want me to come in with ya? Or wait?...this place really isn't safe, doll."

Elena's smile tightened at the pet name and she had to force herself not to react. The man before her was simply trying to be nice. She glanced at the club again, "I shouldn't be longer than twenty minutes and my cousin's inside. He has a car here."

"If you're sure." The cabbie mumbled hesitantly, already planning to stick around to make sure she got out okay.

"I am." Elena replied as she stepped out of the cab without a glance back. She missed the cabbie shaking his head as he watched her stroll up to the club as if she owned the place. He wasn't sure if she didn't notice the leers of the men standing outside or was just ignoring them. God, he hoped his Millie never had reason to come to place like this.

What the cabbie didn't see was the firm icy glare that had fallen over Elena's expression as she headed for the doorman. It was just past midnight and she had been lucky to get a cab at all – but Howard had missed their dinner appointment. Not an unusual event, but his disappearance from his home the past few days, coupled with the stressful events that were currently surrounding Stark Industries and by default Howard. Well...she knew there were only a few places that her cousin would disappear to, in order to relieve his stress.

This was her least favorite place.

The doorman only held her gaze for a split second before he simply took the money she palmed him and let her inside. He could practically feel the irritation wafting off of her and seemed to know better than to question her presence. Elena paid the man little mind as she stepped inside and followed a set of stairs to a basement. The steps seemed to vibrate with the noise of raucous jeering and deep laughter as she grew closer to her destination. She ignored the curious glances she received as she passed a few more men on the stairs and tried not to crinkle her nose as the hefty smells of intermingled tobacco, booze and sweat entered her nose. Normally, those smells didn't bother her, but there was something about smelling it here that made her stomach curl a little.

Finally, she stepped into the room that held a corral of men around a flimsy wooden barrier. A scowl alighted her face as she caught sight of who was inside the barrier. Howard's head snapped to the side as he took a right hook before he danced away. He was taking more hits than making any swings which only made Elena scowl harder. She quickly scrutinized his form as he danced away again. He had removed his shirt for the fight and she could clearly see the bruises that were beginning to form on his torso. It made her nervous and annoyed because she knew he had taken those hits on purpose. Whether he admitted it or not, Howard seemed to get some sick satisfaction out of being beat to a pulp. She blamed his brute of a father for this quirk.

Turning to her right, she made her way to the makeshift bar the underground brawl room hosted and tossed a few coins to the sudo barkeep for a glass of whiskey or rum or whatever was on hand. It was only when she turned back to the fight that Howard spotted her. She nearly smiled grimly as he winced – he knew he was in for an earful. His fight didn't last too much longer – he stopped messing around and finally landed a few hits much to the astonishment of the crowd. The man he was fighting had much more muscle on Howard, but her cousin was quicker. He took another hit, before he managed to knock the other man down to the ground. She wasn't sure if the fight was declared over, but there was a sudden loud barrage of yelling and her view of the ring and cousin were blocked for a few moments. She downed the rest of her liquor and moved around the crowd to find her wayward cousin.

It didn't take her long to find him as he sat slumped in a corner. He had his shirt in one hand and was speaking rapidly to a strange hulk of a man as he glanced about. More than likely he was looking for her. Her eyebrow raised as she watched the man try and pass a small bag to Howard before her cousin waved him off with a few more rapidly spoken words.

"Not going to take your winnings?" She drawled lowly as neared him.

Howard shrugged as he wrestled with his shirt. His movements slow and staccato-like belying the amount of pain he was currently in and she was in no rush to help him, "There's a guy that's fighting next – he's interesting."

Elena frowned in bemusement, "You're betting on someone?"

"Sorta..." Howard grunted as he managed to get one sleeve of his shirt on, but gave up on the other, "Just making sure he gets something when the fight's over."

Her frowned deepened as she looked over the makeshift barrier at the next two men preparing to fight. Her eyes widened as she noted the marked difference between the fighters. One was a moderately tall man with a lean muscular body – she couldn't see his face, but she wasn't much interested as she ogled his arms for a moment. The other man was huge. He reminded Elena of the purported Strong Man that she and Howard would see at the carnivals they went to as children. He even seemed as giant to Elena now as the carnival worker had when she had been much smaller. Horrorstruck, she murmured, "He's going to kill that man."

"Doubtful." Howard muttered as he slumped against the wall, too tired to try and finish putting his shirt on now. He just wanted to rest for a few minutes.

Elena eyed him in exasperation, "You're an idiot."

"Birdie..."

"One of these days, I will find these people carting out your dead body."

"At least, you don't find me unconscious anymore."

"I'm sure if I had arrived 10 minutes later I would've." Elena muttered darkly, as she finally gave into her urges to check his wounds. Quickly and gently she tilted his face into the light to see how badly bruised he would be.

Howard smirked knowingly as he watched her, "You always did ruin my fun."

"You know, I'm beginning to think you enjoy getting punched." Elena said dryly as they fell into their same old routine.

"Beginning?" Howard snorted as he looked glumly back at the ring, "Sometimes you just need to hit something, Birdie. Makes all the difference."

"You're still an idiot."

The boisterous din of the underground brawl room suddenly got much louder and both Howard and Elena looked towards the ring to see the smaller man dragging himself up by the barricade. Blood spilled down the side of his face and Elena gasped as she met steely blue-grey eyes. Despite his ruffled and ruin appearance she couldn't deny his attractiveness. Though he wouldn't remain in that state if he took any more blows to the face.

Howard chuckled lowly as he watched Elena's concern branch out to the stranger in the ring, "Don't worry, Birdie. He puts on a good show."

"Funny, that blood doesn't exactly look fake, Howard." Elena murmured as she cast another look toward the ring and the gargantuan that was barring down on the other fighter.

Howard smirked and resumed tugging at his shirt, "His name's Bobby or Buddy or something. He's one of the better bareknuckle boxers I've seen. I don't think he has much money – it's why he fights. Came in last month and I could see the poor man's ribs. He usually comes out on top."

"Usually." Elena shook her head as she looked over the rest of the crowd, "None of these men have much, but I wished they'd find a better way to make money. Doctors bills aren't kind to these types of wounds."

"That's if they actually go to a doctor."

Elena felt her stomach sink with those words. How many times had they neglected to take Howard to a doctor after one his father's discipline sessions? How many times had these men simply ignored their broken bones to save the few pennies they had made from a fight? She hated this. Biting her lip she didn't look at the ring again as she pulled the other half of Howard's shirt around and helped him slip his arm into the sleeve, "You're pathetic."

"Pathetic and an idiot. I'm really runnin' the gamut tonight." He had to force himself not to quirk a grin at Elena's glare. She may scare others, but he knew his cousin, "How'd you know I'd be here? Why are you here?"

"You missed dinner."

"Ah, a mortal sin."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Just because I've been spending a lot of time on my schoolwork doesn't mean I've been oblivious to what you rant at me." She frowned worriedly and brushed some dry blood from his cheek, "I know you. I know what's been going on at the company. I know what the board and Uncle Leo have told you. Plus I saw mother today -"

Howard's eyes widen comically as he suddenly sat up straight, "You saw Aunt Vitoria and you're just now telling me?"

Elena sent him a dry look, "Well if you had come to dinner, like you were supposed to – especially since that's where she ambushed me."

"Ah, it really is a mortal sin. What did the old hag want?" Howard asked almost jovially.

As she opened her mouth to respond another loud cheer erupted through the room, but this time Elena didn't see anyone dragging themselves into standing position. The gargantuan stood off to the side looking pleased, but she couldn't see his opponent. She was just a few steps away from the barrier before she realized she had even moved. She glanced quickly behind her to see that Howard had the same concerned glint in his brown eyes as she had in her stomach. It was only when she neared the edge of the crowd that she saw the blue-eyed fighter being helped to a bench.

Later, Elena wouldn't be able to recall what exactly possessed her, but she somehow had managed to get a bottle of whiskey and a wet rag from the bartender before appearing at the stranger's side. She could already hear Howard mocking her bleeding heart as she did so. She paused for a breath as she quickly studied him. He was younger than she expected. Closer to her age...She didn't know why she was surprised. Most of the men in here were in there early twenties.

The man had a dazed look on his face as he reached up to touch the nice gash that was gushing on his forehead – wincing as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"That was stupid." Elena commented as she caught his gaze. She honestly had no idea what she was going to do as she approached him – falling back onto her usual role of protective lecturer was most easy in that moment. And the most comfortable for her as well.

He started in surprise at the sound of her voice, before easing a chagrinned smile to his lips that she guessed was meant to be charming, "Yeah well, had to see how bad it is."

"I was talking about fighting the walking skyscraper." Elena murmured as she tilted his head back much the same way she did with Howard. Except, Howard's chin wasn't scratchy with evening scruff and didn't cause tingles to travel up her fingers. Her cousin had a few small cuts, but the gash on this man's head would require stitches. She frowned darkly before she pressed the rag against his wound.

He hissed at the sudden sharp pain from her attentions and almost glared up at her, "Yeah well, it was good money."

"You lost." Elena pointed out unimpressed as she silently passed over the bottle of whiskey.

"Had 'im on the ropes." He took it almost suspiciously, though it only took him a quick second to get the bottle open and take a pull, "Who're you?"

"Concerned citizen." She replied blandly as checked to see if the bleeding had stopped, "You should get this looked at."

"I'll be fine." He muttered a little too quickly as he smiled slowly at her, "Though it's nice to have a pretty lady looking after me. You wouldn't happen to be my guardian angel would ya?"

Elena felt her lips twitch with amusement as she tried to stifle a smile, "Sorry, can't say that I own a pair of wings...More partial to horns anyway."

The man nearly choked at her words, before grinning slyly, "Yeah? Nice dame like you?"

"Dame? I'm not royalty." Elena retorted as gestured for him to put his hand on the rag. She glanced over toward Howard to see how he was doing and nearly snorted as she saw him half-asleep against the wall.

Her new ward followed her gaze and raised a brow, "He your beau?"

Now it was Elena's turn to choke a little as she shook her head, "No, my idiot cousin. Apparently, he felt the need to get punch drunk as well."

She felt more than saw him nod, "I've seen him in here before – never takes the money."

"Hmm."

"Somehow, the guys that fight after him always get that dough." He continued on as he studied his guardian angel's carefully blank face, "You two aren't from around here, are you?"

Elena shrugged, "Depends on what you determine as 'around here'. I should be getting back to him. Take care of yourself..."

"Bucky." He supplied with twinkling eyes – though whether that was from his concussion or not, Elena couldn't guess.

Yet, the name made her pause, "You're joking."

He shook his head, before shrugging, "What's wrong with Bucky?"

"It's a child's name."

"Well I did receive it when I was a child" Bucky pointed out, silently delighting in the muted exasperation in her ocean blue eyes. He had no idea who the woman standing before him was, but he wasn't one to deny the attentions of a beautiful stranger. If he could keep her in engaged in their strange conversation for as long as possible, the better.

"I would say you're not still a child, but I just watched you tousle like one." Elena returned as she smirked at the indignant look that flashed across his face.

"I'm beginning to see those horns you were talking about." Bucky murmured as he pulled the rag away from his head and smiled ruefully at her.

Elena couldn't help, but laugh, "Oh, trust me, this is me being nice. Besides you can't tell me that's what you get the girls to call you."

"How do you think I got this name?" Bucky grinned wickedly, his insinuation more than obvious.

A curious thrill traveled up Elena's spine as she gazed at him, "Now, I know you're joking."

"James Buchanan Barnes. That's my given name." Bucky said sagely as he gave her a pointed look. As if challenging her to find something wrong with his full name.

"So Bucky came from Buchanan, then"

He shook his head firmly destroying any notion that Elena had on his name. A small smile that she couldn't quite identify fell across his lips as he quietly explained, "My dad. He called me Bucky – said I bucked up his day and it just seemed to stick."

"Oh." Elena said quietly as she felt herself soften at the cherished memory. She hadn't missed his use of past tense either.

"No one really uses my given name." Bucky continued as he ignored her sudden understanding glance

"They should, it's a nice name." She met his gaze with a small smile, trying not to blush as his grin turned cocky. She couldn't remember the last time a man had made her blush just by talking.

"You think -"

"Birdie."

Bucky and Elena looked up to see Howard ambling towards them, looking far younger than his eighteen years. Elena for her part, rolled her eyes when she saw that his attention was more on the buttons of his shirt than the conversation he had interrupted. His swollen fingers fiddle with the small piece of plastic, unable to get it through the hole. He finally looked up blearily, "I'm tired."

"Oh?" Elena drawled sagely as she quirked a brow, "Did getting beat to a pulp wear you out?"

Howard scowled, "Don't patronize me."

"He calls you Birdie, and you have a problem with Bucky?" Bucky stated in disbelief as he watched the cousins.

"I don't tell people to call me Birdie. He's the only one that can get away from it." Elena retorted as she watch her cousin analyze the man beside her.

"This is true. The last person to call her Birdie, who wasn't me, ended up with a black eye." Howard stated sagely as grinned winning at Bucky, "You look like a train wreck, no wonder my cousin likes you."

"Howard!"

"She goes for train wrecks, huh?" Bucky asked curiously as he sent her a teasing smile as she glared at him.

Howard shrugged, "I don't think she can help it. She's studying to be a nurse."

"And I'm going to wait in the car." Elena muttered as she watched the boys become quick friends.

"You don't have the keys."

Elena pulled her hand from her purse, "You mean these keys?"

Howard quickly patted his pockets to find that his keys were indeed missing, as was his wallet. He scowled at her, "Thief."

"Brute." She turned with a nod toward Bucky, "It was nice to meet you, James."

Bucky had eased himself into a standing position. Not sure what to do, but knowing that he didn't want her to leave just yet, "Wait, I didn't get your name."

Elena merely smiled slyly at him as wandered to the door while Howard chortled lowly, "Sure you did. It's Birdie."

Bucky blinked as he watched Howard saunter after Elena – not really sure if he would ever see the two cousins again or at the very least if he would ever see her again. They seemed to disappear from the brawl room as quickly as they had appeared to Bucky. So lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice Mac approaching him. The older burly man was the only one trusted to act as bookie during the fights. He knew the amount of each purse and who was to get what. His presences wasn't unusual, but the fact that he was approaching Bucky that night was.

"Hey Mac, you getting' busy over there?" Bucky asked as he finally noticed the large man standing next to him.

Mac shook his head, "Same old grind, Buck. This is for you."

Bucky frowned as the bookie held out a leather purse to him. He hadn't expected to win much of anything that night. His opponent had kicked his scrawny ass, after all, "What's this?"

"That rich kid you were talkin' to. It's his winnins from his fight. Said to give it to whoever lost the next one." Mac explained as he pushed the purse at Bucky again, "That would be you."

Hesitantly, Bucky reached out for the bag. It was heftier than he thought it would be. Not much was usually put into the fight purses. He glanced quizzically at Mac, but the older man had already ambled back to his corner of the brawl room. Curiously, he tugged open the purse to see a note laying on top.

Elena Marie Turner.

He smirked as he twisted the paper between his fingers and wondered when exactly when she had the time to slip the note in there.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, I've rearranged these two scenes to be parallel to each other for a reason. I wanted Bucky and Elena to have a brief meet before I started to delve more into their past and you see why over the next four or so chapters. Thank you all so much for reading! I really do enjoy having the support to continue with my revamp and writing. Special thanks to: **Team Bedward, LadyStrider17, my 3 Guests, aPaperheaRt, Cat and Artemis7448** for reviewing. I hope you all continue to read, enjoy and review.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 **1932 Kingston, New York**

"Birdie?"

Howard bit the inside of his cheek as he leaned against the door to his cousin's bedroom. The wooden surface was cool to the touch, but he barely noticed as he strained to hear some sort of noise come from inside. Nothing. Not even the softest breath could be heard. He sighed and pressed his forehead to the grainy panel. He hated his life, he decided silently. His chocolate brown eyes watered for a moment before he stodgily pushed back at the sorrow and pain choking his heart. He wanted his cousin, his best friend. She hadn't left her room since they had received the news and that had been three days ago.

"Birdie, please let me in." Howard murmured raggedly. He expected more silence and wasn't disappointed when nothing happen. Fortifying himself for what he would do next, Howard lifted trembling fingers to the cold metal door knob. He swallowed back a brief swell of panic, fearful that Elena would just cast him from the room. The door gave way with the slightest of turn and he cautiously peered inside.

Elena's bed laid empty. The white linens smooth and crisp as if the fabric had never been touched. Confusion marred Howard's face as he moved more fully into the room. There was no noise coming from the attached bathroom and for a dreadful moment he wondered if he would find….He shook his head and dislodged his morbid thoughts as he began to furiously search her room. Elena had to be here – she needed to be here. He couldn't lose her too. It wasn't until he neared her wardrobe that he saw her.

There was a small space between the window and her wardrobe, he remembered that she used to like to hide in it when they were younger. Elena had squeezed into it now. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her hair tethered in a loose braid. Howard couldn't see her face, but that didn't matter as he crept closer to kneel in front of his cousin. His protector. He couldn't remember a time when Elena hadn't taken care of him, hadn't patched his wounds, and wiped away his tears, hadn't jump to his defense anytime someone tried to pick on him. She was his rock – he had never had to be hers. Until now.

"Birdie." He whispered as his hand brushed lightly over her ankle.

A muffled sniffle and a choked response of, "Go away." was all he heard.

"No." He murmured as his thumb unconsciously began to rub soft circles over her skin. Another sniffle and Elena slowly brought her head up. He almost wished she hadn't as he looked into hollow blue eyes. The normal mischievous spark was gone and something whimpered and withered inside Howard at the pain he faced. He almost wished she were angry. His Elena simply looked lost and defeated, neither were words that should ever describe his cousin. Her eyes were swollen from harsh tears, her complexion ruddy and aching. He wanted to bundle her into bed and lock the world away like they did when he was seven and had a broken arm, "Birdie."

The nickname brought on a new stream of silent tears and Howard gulped at the sight. Her head fell listlessly against her wardrobe a she whispered, "I'll never hear him call me, Pigeon again."

Howard closed his eyes briefly and forced a bitter smile, "Nor will I hear him call me, Nephew. I don't think I ever heard him say my name."

A heartbreaking titter escaped Elena's mouth before she lost all fight to a strangle sob, "I just want Papa."

Howard felt his heart shatter and wilt and was unable to stop his tears from piercing his eyes. He whispered a soft, "I know."

Yet, he couldn't watch further as his brave cousin fell apart. He pulled her slight form into his arms and bit the inside of his cheek again to suppress his sobs as Elena gave into hers. He would be her rock now.

 **xXx**

 **1922 Brooklyn, New York**

Robert Barnes rubbed at the back of his neck as he stared at the mound of bills on the kitchen table. He was going to lose the house if he didn't come up with some money fast. He was behind on the mortgage…too far behind and the medical bills just never seem to stop coming. He heaved a soft sigh and pushed the bills away as he felt his heart clench in pain.

Jeanie…

The funeral costs had taken more out of the accounts than Robert had anticipated. He would have spent it all on his wife and baby girl, but he still needed to take care of his son. He peered into the living room to see his little boy playing with his toy fire truck. He wasn't making any sound, however, just pushing the truck forward. Robert frowned, feeling his heart break even further at seeing his normally energetic son so…quiet. It was a word he never thought he would use to describe Bucky.

Standing from the table he came to sit behind his son, "You saving the world, Buck?"

His little boy shrugged, never really looking up. Robert bit back a sigh and resisted the urge to pull Bucky into his arms and never let go. Instead, he ran a hand through his son's messy hair, "You know I met your mother because of a fire."

Bucky frowned curiously, "A fire?"

"Mmhm." Robert nodded as he pushed the fire truck back to his son, "Your grandparents owned a bakery and when your mother was sixteen your grandma decided that she should started working at the shop. Only your mother was not a very good cook then."

"Mommy makes good food though." Bucky protested. He loved his mother's pot roast.

Robert half-smiled at his five-year-old's defense of his mother, "Yes, she does - did. But only after your grandmother spent a lot of time teaching her everything that she knew. When your mother started to work in the bakery, she wanted to impress your grandfather by making a few loaves of bread on her own. Only she forgot to keep an eye on the bread and set the bakery on fire."

"Mommy set a building on fire?" Bucky's eyes were impossibly wide at the thought of his mother doing anything bad, "Did grandma give her a time out?"

"Uhh ha." Robert grinned as he tried not to laugh, "I don't know, but she was in a lot of trouble. She was inside the bakery screaming for help when I passed by. I ran inside to see her swatting at a smoking oven with a dish cloth."

Bucky smiled faintly, "You saved mommy."

Robert returned the smile as he tried not lose himself in a wave of nostalgia, "I tried to…Your mommy wasn't very happy when I threw a bucket of water onto the oven. She claimed I destroyed her bread and didn't really want to talk to me again."

"But mommy never gets mad." Bucky said softly as he fiddled with his truck.

"Oh your mommy used to get mad at me all the time." Robert replied quietly, "It's why I loved her."

Bucky's brow furrowed and Robert could tell that his son thought he was strange, "You liked mommy getting mad?"

Robert chuckled, "No, I didn't like that she would be mad. I liked that your mommy didn't put up with my sh… excuses. She saw right through me."

Robert could tell that Bucky didn't really understand, but that was okay. He just wanted his son to remember his mother. Wanted him to know that she was a person and real. He ran his hand through his son's hair again and brushed a thumb over his cheek. Bucky looked up at him sadly. His big blue eyes reminding Robert so much of Jeanie.

"Daddy…I want mommy." Bucky whispered.

Robert felt tears prick at his eyes as he finally gave into his earlier urge and pulled his son into his arms and pressed a kiss to his head, "I do too, buddy."

 **xXx**

 **1934 Kingston, New York**

It was snowing. Elena's ocean blue stare followed the fluttering of icy flakes as she waited quietly in the den of the Stark house. She did not care much for snow. Its biting cold seemed to seep into the deepest pores of her body whenever she stepped out into it, but she loved to watch as the pure whiteness blanketed the world. The first snowfall was always the greatest. The flakes were just starting to settle to the earth and had an abstract fuzzy quality that made the glaring white seem soft to touch. She found it hypnotizing, in its own strange way, making it easier for her to block out the sounds of her family in the next room.

The sound of her mother's grating laugh tore at her nerves as the family conversed with the Davenports. It was time for that all-encompassing and draining Sunday dinner with her Uncle Howard… which meant that half of Kingston's prominent families were in attendance. Elena was not in the mood to make polite small talk and feign genial smiles that particular weekend. She bit back a sigh and idly fingered the silver band wrapped around her middle finger.

"You're amazing at avoiding parties."

Elena startled in her seat as her gaze swung around to find Howard Jr. struggling not to smile at her expense. She silently huffed, "Ass."

Howard simply grinned.

Straightening from the chair, she found herself softening a little as she moved to greet her cousin with a hug, "What are you doing here? I thought school didn't release the prisoners for another few weeks."

"The warden took a trip home this weekend and I thought I'd take the opportunity to make a break for it." He smirked mischievously, "I figured Daddy dearest could put up with harboring a fugitive tonight."

"Hmm, lucky him." Elena stepped back and studied the young man before her. They were the same height now and she had no doubt that in another few years he would outgrow her. His eyes held a light that spoke of his good care at Emerson Academy. Her lips twisted into a small smile as she reached up to touch his chin, "What is this? You need to wash your face, there's something on your lip."

Howard ducked out of her reach and scowled, "It's called a mustache, Birdie."

"If you say so." She snorted in amusement as she eyed the barely-there strip of hair that was decorating her cousin's face. It was too pathetic in her opinion to even be called a mustache, "It looks more like dirt."

"I'll have you know it took me two months to grow this." He groused as he touched the peach fuzz as if to make sure it really wasn't dirt. He had spent a lot of time cultivating his new look.

Elena nearly choked on a laugh as she replied, "Howard, there's a reason you don't see many - any fifteen year old boys with a mustache…They can't grow them yet."

"I can." Howard stated childishly which only seemed to encourage Elena's merriment, "Oh shut up."

She grinned unrepentantly as Howard continued to scowl at her. By the way he was fidgeting Elena could tell he wanted to go check his appearance in the mirror. She suppressed a laugh and gently nudged his shoulder, "So what's the real reason you're home? I know you try to avoid being near your father for any extended amount of time."

Howard shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flitting briefly over her form before pausing for a moment on the hand holding her ring. He reached out and pulled her hand up for inspection before finally meeting her gaze again, "You have to ask?"

"No." Elena's mouth twisted into a sad smile as she pulled her hand away. Her thumb unconsciously rubbed the metal band as she studied her cousin again, this time looking for any hint of pity. There was none, only silent sadness and muted pain, "No, I guess not."

"I miss him." Howard whispered bitterly, and Elena found herself blinking back tears as she tried to stop the trembling of her lower lip. "I wish he had been my dad…instead of my uncle."

"He wanted that too." Elena murmured as she tried to twist her lips into a smile, but found herself swallowing against the sudden tightness in her throat. She had been trying so hard not to think of her father; she hurt so much whenever she did. She missed his smile, and his odd sense of humor…she missed his kindness. The only kind person in their twisted little family…she missed – she just missed him.

Howard vainly ignored his own watery eyes as he nudged his struggling cousin. In truth, Samuel Turner had been the only decent father figure he had ever had, and his death the previous year had left him lost and bewildered, but not as devastated as Birdie. He pushed a thin smile to his lips. "Do you remember how confused your dad made me over your name when we were little?"

Elena's lips twitched. "You didn't understand why he kept calling me Pigeon."

"And Uncle Leo was no better…always calling you Ducky, or Ducks," Howard continued, his eyes gleaming at the fond memory. "I was convinced that you were named after some type of bird by the time I was five."

"Named after?" Elena giggled disbelievingly. "You used to follow me around looking for feathers and nagged me to teach you how to fly…. Nearly gave your mother a heart attack when you tried to jump off the roof with wooden boards and a sheet strapped to your arms."

"She never believed me when I told her it was your idea," he muttered ruefully as Elena smiled shamelessly; it had been her idea. "She didn't let me out of her sight for a week."

She shrugged. "It could have been worse. You started calling me Birdie then."

"Well of course. You were your dad's little carrier pigeon, our uncle's duckling, a mother hen when I was hurt and a mockingbird when I did something stupid…You're Birdie."

Elena shook her head at him though her smile remained. "You're always doing something stupid."

"And you're always mocking me."

The two cousins smirked at each other as they fell into a comfortable silence. Elena rubbed her ring again as she felt her sadness linger, but this time she did not feel as despairing.

 **xXx**

 **1928 Brooklyn, New York**

It didn't bother him, he could ignore it.

Laughter pierced his ears and Steve bent his head even more as he focused on his sketch. His fingers were beginning to shake from the intense grip he had on his pencil. He could ignore it. He blinked trying to hold back tears. He was stronger than this…he knew he was. Swallowing tightly, he added a few more lines to the bird he was trying to draw. He never noticed the shadow that passed over him or when that shadow sighed and sat down in front of him.

"Stevie."

He ignored the voice…or at least he tried, but his fingers suddenly became still and the pencil wouldn't move across the page. He tried so hard to make it move.

"You don't have to sit here by yourself, you know."

Still Steve didn't lift his eyes to acknowledge the other's presence. He wanted this day to be over, "They showed interest in you, Buck. You'll have a new family. That's a good thing."

Bucky frowned as Steve finally looked up to meet his eyes and forced a smile. The kids in the orphanage generally were excited when couples came through to look at them. It usually meant that someone would get to leave. No more cold porridge meals, or harsh rules enforced by the nuns and their lethal rulers. Bucky never gave the couples a second glance. He remembered his mother with her soft words and warm embraces. He had known his father...he fought back a wince at the choking sensation that never failed to appear at the thought of Robert Barnes. A man he missed more than anyone. And for a brief moment in his life he remembered his baby sister, Rebecca. They were dead now, and he was alone-except for Stevie. He ignored the deep-seated pang that came with their memory – being sad was just a waste.

Besides he didn't need new parents. This was something that Stevie didn't seem to understand. He had seen the crushed look in his friend's eyes as the new couple spent a few minutes talking to him. Stevie thought he'd be leaving him…like everyone else had left him.

"They can show all the interest they want, Stevie. I'm not going anywhere." Bucky said firmly, though it seemed comical seeing a eleven-year-old being that serious.

"Bucky, you should go with them if they want you." Stevie said, not understanding why his friend wasn't leaving their hole of an orphanage.

"What for? I like it here."

Steve snorted and looked back down at his drawing, "No one likes it here."

"Maybe I do." Bucky said defiantly, "Besides who would you talk to."

"I can make friends, you know." Steve said with a frown. He loved Bucky, but sometimes he really could strangle his friend.

"Didn't say you couldn't." Bucky shifted to sit next to the slightly smaller boy and pulled an apple from his pocket. Sister Tonya predicted that he was due for a growth spurt soon with the amount of food he had been eating, "Let's go do somethin'."

Steve nearly rolled his eyes, "Buck we're not supposed to leave while the adults are here."

Bucky shrugged, "So, they're not here for us. Let's go do something."

"The man talked to you." Stevie stressed.

Bucky nearly threw his apple at the blonde in frustration. He didn't want to talk about the couple that were viewing the kids. The couple was nice, he would admit, but they were looking for a kid to save and James Buchanan Barnes did not need to be saved. He got decent food, he had a place to sleep and he had his family in the form of Stevie. He didn't need another set of parents…though he may accept Mrs. Rogers as another mom. He looked curiously over at his friend who had his head bent over his sketches again, "When was the last time you saw your mom?"

Steve froze again, a pained expression crossing his face as he thought of his mother. She was trying so hard to get him back, "It's been awhile….Aunt Milly has moved back from Oklahoma to take care of her."

The last time he had seen his mother she had been constrained to her bed too weak to get up. His aunt had just arrived and had been fluttering around the sad little apartment that Sarah Rogers had been forced to move into when her medical bills began to pile up. An illness and bills that had made it impossible for her to take care of her only son. So he had been placed St. Catherine's Lost Home for Boys. She used to visit every week, but then she just got worse. It had been almost a month since Stevie last saw her.

"Let's go see her." Bucky said as he finished off his apple.

Steve knew that Bucky had taken a shine to his mother when she had asked to meet him. She had seemed genuinely happy to find that Steve had a friend. It had been a long time since Bucky had seen the woman as well, and it concerned the brunette that the small woman was so sickly. Stevie was constantly sick, but that was mostly due to his asthma not to an illness that, as Stevie put it, came out of nowhere.

There was a small pause as Stevie looked both hopeful and uncertain. He hated going to that apartment. It really wasn't home to him and he dreaded seeing his mom so sick. He really did want to see his mom, though – he missed her. Almost timidly Steve nodded his head, "Yeah…ok, we can do that."

Bucky grinned broadly, happy to see his friend looking a little less depressed, "Great…You think she'll have those cookies again."

Steve rolled his eyes and nudged his friend as he gathered his things, "I don't know, Buck. She always has something, though."

The duo smiled at each other as they began to go down the street. For once Steve felt like nothing was amiss that he was simply going home with his brother.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm really changing things up here. I hope you guys enjoy. Special thanks to **ohmicrofilm, artemis7448, my 2 Guests, Cat, LadyStrider17, and Lexnewt** for reviewing. I always appreciate the feedback you guys.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **1923 Kingston, New York**

Magic

Elena stared with wide blue eyes as she watched her father uncurl his palm. The quarter he had been twirling through his fingers was gone. She gasped in surprise making Samuel hardpress to contain his chuckle. He had done these tricks for Fergus once upon a time, but his eldest had long since lost any interest in his father's silly magic tricks.

His five-year-old, however. Samuel grinned as Elena snatched his hand to look it over. Her sharp little eyes were looking for the lie – trying to understand where he had made the coin go. He made the coin reappear again as she turn his palm over and chuckled at her stymied expression. His smart little girl.

"Again daddy." Elena demanded as she slipped the coin from between his fingers. She looked at the little piece of silver as if it held all the answers in the world. Maybe it did.

Samuel smiled amusedly as he reached down to wrap an arm around his little girl and place her on his lap. She curled into his side almost immediately as she looked up him pointedly. He raised a sardonic brow, "Again? Pigeon, I've done this four times already. Aren't you getting tired of it?"

"No. Again, show me." Elena demand again with a slight pout. This time it was Samuel's turn to giver her a pointed look. She huffed as she continued, "Pleasee. Please, daddy."

Samuel sighed at his princess and gently snatched the quarter from her small fingers. He tapped her nose, "One more time, Pigeon. Then it's bedtime for you."

"But!"

"No buts little girl." Samuel said sternly. He was more aware than most that the blue-eyed pixie on his lap had him wrapped around her little finger, but he knew better than to let Elena have her way with everything... even as she pouted up at him. He sighed tiredly and held up the coin in an effective distraction from his bedtime decree, "Alright, pay attention."

Elena nodded seriously as she watched the quarter spin through her father's fingers again. He hoped that fascination never left her eyes.

* * *

 **1937 Brooklyn, New York**

"I thought penguins lived in Antarctica."

Bucky rolled his eyes as he adjusted his bowtie. Admittedly, he did feel a little ridiculous dressed in the monkey suit he had been given for work. His usual slacks and button down had been traded for fine black woolen pants and a cotton shirt so white he thought it would blind someone. Luckily, his tie and vest detracted from the startling sheen, "Yuck it up, Stevie. At least I have a decent paying job for once."

"I give you an hour before you deck someone." Steve drawled as he watched Bucky finish getting ready. He wasn't quite sure how his best friend had landed a job as a server for some hoighty toighty event, but he knew Bucky would be gritting his teeth all night. Steve remembered all to clearly the one time Bucky had spent the day with him on Columbia's campus. The day had gone well for the most part, but not even Steve could keep Bucky from hearing the snide comments some of the more wealthy students made about the scholarship kid in class. And Bucky said he had a short fuse?

"Your faith in me is astonishing." Bucky retorted as he smoothed his hair back, wincing as he caught sight of the healing scar on his forehead. He was thankful that it was summer and the slight tan he had developed from working outside had minimized the obviousness of the pink tissue. He would have to be more careful when he chose his boxing matches in the future. It didn't matter that the purse had been good or that he had lost in the end - he had been out of commission for a few days as he allowed his ribs and hands to heal from fighting the Goliath himself, "Besides it's not like I have time to stand around and listen to anyone gab. I'll be too busy running around with trays and glasses."

"Mmm." Steve hummed in faint disbelief before he slumped onto Bucky's bed, "Don't break a rib again. It's been nice not having to listen to you whine about sitting, standing... you know breathing."

"Stevie, I'm not gonna get in a fight." Bucky murmured exasperated before he caught the mischievous twinkle in his best friend's eye, "Punk."

"Jerk." Steve replied automatically with a shrug, "Last time you said that you ended up at Mac's and came back looking like a punching bag."

"I was a punching bag." Bucky muttered under his breath before a small smile twitched at the corners of his lips. It had been worth it though, as he remembered the grudgingly concerned ocean blue eyes that had belonged to his guardian angel. The delicious blush that had spread across her cheeks when her teasing directness suddenly turned to unexpected shyness.

"Uh huh." Steve smiled knowingly as he watched a familiar spark enter his friend's gaze. He had been trying to get details of the mystery boxing girl out of Bucky for weeks, but he was being unusually quiet about the girl, "You ever gonna tell me about this dame?"

Bucky quirked a brow at Steve as he shrugged, "There's nothing to tell, Stevie. She got me a rag from the bar and bitched me out about fighting a guy twice my size. Nothing happened."

"Yeah, cuz that's why you smile whenever you think about her." Stevie returned drolly, not believing a word Bucky said. Something had happened, "You don't even smile like that over Mitsy Collins and she's been running you in circles for weeks."

Bucky held in a sigh as he thought about the small redhead down the block. Mitsy had been ignoring his attentions for awhile now, but she did it in a way that said she was unwillingly interested, "Ah Mitsy..."

Steve snorted at the disgruntle look and wistful tone with a shake of his head, "You're hopeless."

"Says you." Bucky said as he grabbed his wallet and coat. Where had he put his keys?

"Where is this party anyway?"

"Manhattan. Some ritzy duplex or something." He answered as he caught sight of his keys on the dresser, "I need to get out of here if I don't want to be late. You gonna be up when I get back? We can go grab drinks or go to Johnny's meet a few girls?"

Steve rolled his eyes, neither option sounding particularly appealing to him, "I have to study."

"Study? Stevie, it's Friday night – go and do something fun for a change." Bucky urged as he tried to get his surrogate brother to leave his hermit ways.

"Studying is fun."

"For who? A monk."

"Well a monastery would be more peaceful than living with you."

"Oh real nice. See if I get you a date again." Bucky sniffed in mock offence.

Steve grinned knowingly, "You will just to annoy me."

"Ain't that the truth. See you later Brother Steve." Bucky called as he headed for the door, grinning as he heard Steve's muttered oath. Yeah, that nickname wasn't going away anytime soon.

xXx

 **Manhattan**

Elena bit back a sigh as she stared over the gleaming wooden balcony of the Lansington's Ballroom. The crystal chandelier obscured her from view of those down below as she watched the colorful patchwork of expensive dresses and jewelry shimmering in the low lamp light, accented in stark contrast by the black and grey suits the men wore and glinting silver of the waitstaff trays.

She didn't want to go down there.

As beautiful as the room was, as beautiful as the people looked – it was all such a lie. A beautiful, beautiful lie. She swirled her champagne, tempted to down the entire flute.

"I hope you don't plan on drinking all of that." Elena glanced up to see Howard strolling toward her. She frowned faintly, not sure how she had missed her cousin's arrival, "You'd have to leave your hiding place to get more after all."

"How'd you know I was up here?" Elena asked quietly as Howard joined her in viewing the masses.

He smirked and gave her a pointed look, "An engagement party for Lucille Lansington and George McAllister which has your mother in attendance and who is more than likely waiting for the opportune moment to berate you for not snatching Georgie boy for yourself... The odds were in my favor that you would be hiding up here."

"I'm not hiding." Elena grumbled as she sipped at her champagne. More than aware her cousin was right – she would have to leave if she finished off the glass, "Don't suppose you brought a bottle with you?"

"Sorry, I had a hard enough time sneaking away from your mother's watchful eye." Howard cringed as he remembered his aunt's heavy gaze, "Swear, Aunt Vitoria could make the devil pause."

Elena snickered quietly, "How long do you think I can get away with being up here?"

"Not long. Lucille's the type to notice an absence – not to mention that Uncle Leo's here and wants to speak with you." Howard murmured as he watched his cousin's shoulder's slump with disappointment. He knew better than anyone that she had hoped her departure from Kingston, from her mother would mean the end to this part of her life. Life had its own plans for his cousin, "Brennan's here too, by the way."

Elena groaned and pressed the flute glass to her forehead. Sometimes she was sure the world conspired against her. Her mother and the man that wanted to marry her all in the same building, "Does he know I'm here?"

"He knows your mother is." Howard stated wryly as he tried to suppress a smile at Elena's suddenly horrified expression. The last thing in the world she needed was for her mother to meet Brennan.

"I'll give you a thousand dollars to kill me." Elena whispered desperately as Howard wrapped a hand around her arm to guide her downstairs.

"Ha, you'd have to pay me a few million to make that happen. Besides you will not leave me with Vitoria. I forbid it." Howard whispered back as they descended the stairs, "The quicker we get down there, the quicker we can leave right?"

"If only." Elena grunted.

As soon as their feet hit the floor it was like a curtain had dropped. Elena's face went blank as she raised an indifferent brow and a benign smile. Howard smirked smugly and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The two cousins spared each other a quick glance before they departed in opposite directions. Mingling was now the name of the game – Elena could only hope that she'd manage not to run into her mother or Brennan.

She didn't notice when a certain server caught sight of her gliding across the ballroom or how his eyes widen in surprise when he took in her soft satin grey gown. She looked like a million dollars to him – he could hardly believe he was looking at the same woman he had met weeks ago.

Elena for her part was oblivious to much in the room as she counted the seconds by in her head. She smiled when appropriate, made conversation when needed. She even danced abit, but then her dance partner was her uncle and he could always coax her into doing things she didn't desire to.

"Now, where is my favorite niece's smile." Leonard Turner asked as he spun her around, "It's a party, my dear duckling. You should be enjoying yourself."

Elena gave him a pointed look as she followed his movements, "I'm your only niece, Uncle. And a duck can only enjoy so much when she's in a room of sharks."

Leo chuckled as he realized that Elena was looking at her mother, "You have never been one to be seen as food for the scourge, my dear. Though I take it your mother has been playing matchmaker again."

Elena shrugged, "I wouldn't know. The last time I spoke with mother she accosted me at Pierre's to inform me of this party and of my poor life choices. She also tried to get me to give her five-thousand dollars, but refused to tell me why she needed it."

Leonard frowned at that last bit of information as he tried to hold in a tired sigh. He would never understand what his brother had seen in that shrew of a woman, "Fergus is to be ousted from the family company soon. I believe that Vitoria has caught on to this fact."

Elena nearly froze in place as she looked up at Leo in surprise. Suddenly, everything regarding her mother's sudden reappearance in her life made sense. She was going to be ill, "What?"

"Your brother's been gambling again and not with his own money this time." Leo explained dourily. Seeing his niece's weary acceptance of that statement somehow made everything that much worse.

"I thought his wife had cured him of that particular habit."

"Apparently not – or it might be the fact that Liza has cast him and your mother from the house. According to Liza, Fergus has been keeping a lady in Jersey." The dull way in which Leo delivered that news let Elena know that he was ready to wash his hands of his nephew.

Elena couldn't help, but chuckle at the latest sordid turn the Turner household had taken, "You know uncle, now would be a perfect time to settle down, produce some heirs. Maybe then this family will have a chance at existing into the next decade, let alone the rest of the century."

Leo snorted, slightly affronted, "You have a cruel sense of humor, Ducks."

"Don't I ever." Elena murmured as the duo finished their dance, "I should fill in Howard."

Leo nodded in understanding as he passed her another glass of champagne, "Do that. Your mother is at you ten, Ducks. Good luck."

Elena didn't even glance to her left as she disappeared from her uncle's side. Despite his warning about Vitoria Turner, Leo did not know about Brennan and too late did Elena notice him in her path. Her eyes widen as she caught sight of him looking at her and like a scared rabbit she veared to her left and attempted to put as many people between them as possible. She felt panic blossom in her stomach as she tried to find a good hiding spot and silently cursed her cousin for making her come downstairs. Elena wouldn't normally call herself a coward, but when it came to overly persistent Frenchmen she couldn't run fast enough it seemed.

She turned down a random corridor of the Lansington home as she heard footsteps quickening behind her. She quietly cursed as she searched for a door or even a damn window to dive through. She didn't make it far before she felt a hand grip her wrist and tug her into an empty room. Elena yelped in surprise and turned, fully prepared to give Brennan a piece of her mind. Her mouth snapped shut, however, as her gaze met a familiar pair of steely-blues. She couldn't help, but stare in astonishment as Bucky quickly snapped the door shut behind him. He held a finger up to his mouth to hold off any comments she wanted to make. A few minutes later they could hear steps echoing down the hall they had just left.

"Well, well maybe it's you who's my guardian angel." Elena whispered softly as she heard the footsteps depart from the hall.

Bucky smirked as he leaned back against the door, "Yeah well you looked like you needed some help."

Elena nodded slightly as she tried to formulate words. It wasn't often she was at a loss, but she honestly never thought she would see her boxer again, "Not playing at being James J. Braddock tonight?"

Bucky's eyes glinted with humor as he shook his head, "Fraid not, sweetheart."

"Mmm, I'm not your sweetheart." Elena corrected with a tilt of her head and a sly smile. She finally overcame her shock enough to fully take him in – it registered distantly that he was working with the wait staff tonight, but damn did he look good, "You clean up well. The lack of blood does wonders."

"I didn't think you minded the blood, doll." He cracked a smile as Elena scrunched her nose at the pet name, "While I took you for a well-to-do type, I didn't realize just how well-to-do you are. You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you." Elena murmured graciously. She felt a faint blush spreading up her neck, she couldn't stop staring, "Did you get my card?"

Bucky paused as he snatched his wallet from his back pocket. She watched curiously as he slipped out her paper card, "Elena Marie Turner." His eyes flicked up to hers, "You don't look like an Elena."

Elena huffed a small laugh as she eyed him almost incredulously, "You kept it."

Bucky shrugged feeling a little chagrined, "Seemed like the thing to do."

"But you didn't come find me?" Elena asked curiously as she stepped into his space. They were doing a strange dance and she didn't quite know what she was doing anymore. His presence made everything strangely blank... peaceful...better. It shouldn't, she didn't know him.

"Was I supposed to?" Bucky asked teasingly as he smiled winningly at her.

"It's called a calling card for a reason." Elena countered amusedly before she stepped away. She need to clear her head. She felt almost dizzy with... something. For the first time she looked around and noted the room they were in was almost completely empty of furniture. There was a desk and little else.

Bucky seemed to notice her sudden distraction as he followed her gaze, "Most of the rooms in this place are like this. If it weren't for the gathering in the ballroom I would think this place was deserted."

Elena raised an amused brow, "Been snooping have you?"

"Apparently, people like me are only to be seen when necessary. I've only just found a few routes to...disappear." Bucky said almost bitterly as he stepped up behind her.

Elena closed her eyes at that statement. She really did hate the world she lived in – the empty room only proved the truth of her earlier thoughts. It was all just a beautiful lie, "How'd you know I wanted to hide?"

"Saw you come down the stairs earlier and then I saw this joker shadow your every step." Bucky stepped in front of her to lean against the desk. He looked at her speculatively, "You seemed intent on staying away from him. Thought I'd help."

"And I'm most grateful." Elena murmured, "You were watching me?"

"Mmmhmm."

"How did I miss you?" She whispered.

Bucky smiled faintly, uncertain why that quiet question pleased him, "You seemed intent on avoiding your fella and that witch of a woman in the blue dress. Just about dumped my tray on that woman."

Blue dress? Elena blinked before she realized who he was talking about, "I wished you had."

"I can still do that." Bucky murmured, more than willing to shake up the bash outside.

"No." Elena shook her head as she found herself leaning on the desk next to him, "No, I wouldn't want you to lose your job. I prefer this to you being beat to a pulp."

"Why's that, doll?" Bucky felt like he was flirting with danger when Elena looked up at him with her big blue eyes. She could make a man melt under that gaze.

"Just do." Elena murmured quietly, "I like you. Not so much the pet names, but I like you."

It was strange how that small admission felt like she had just given everything away. Elena felt her blush intensify for a moment and she had to fight not to look away from him. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She hadn't acted like this since her first crush when she was thirteen. It was ridiculous.

"Good." Bucky smiled smugly, "I like you too, Ellie."

"Ellie?"

"You look like an Ellie." He said softly, intrigued as she continued to stare at him. He felt as odd as she did. As if he was standing on one leg and was waiting for it to collapse.

And it did.

His eyes widen briefly in surprise when Elena suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him down into a kiss. Usually, he was the one to initiate anything like this, but he wasn't about to complain. Unthinkingly, his hands found her waist as he pulled her between his legs. Her fingers fluttered up to latch onto the small hairs at the back of his neck, sending chills down his spine. He nipped lightly at her lip and at her gasp of surprise he deepened the kiss. Gently guiding his tongue over hers, silently relishing in the taste of champagne that lingered.

All too soon she was breaking away. Her right hand still clenching at his shirt, but more to keep the distance. He smiled at her flushed cheeks and the heat in her eyes, "You're full of surprises."

"We should get back." Elena said smoothly, but not making a move to leave.

He raised a brow at her, "I don't know about that."

Elena chuckled lightly and finally pushed herself to stand away from him, "I do. We should go back and you should find me later."

Bucky paused as he studied her. He licked his lips and nodded, "I can do that...I can do that."

"Okay." Elena whispered as she moved for the door. She looked back at him as she bit her lip, "Later?"

Bucky smiled, wishing later was now, "Later."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: There are aspects to this chapter that I hate and love. So I want Elena to be strong and vulnerable and when I wrote the original of this story I think I was able to achieve that balance, but now that I've changed how Bucky and Elena meet (i.e. made it occur 5 years earlier) I wanted to show a side of Elena that is still learning about the world beyond Kingston and the societal expectations that were normal for her and I hope that makes sense. **Special thanks to: Ohmicrofilm, Guest, Markup, Cat, FortuneFollower and LadyStrider17 for reviewing.** I always appreciate your thoughts and feedback.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **1933 Kingston, New York**

It was here…somewhere. Howard frowned thoughtfully as he staggered into his father's office, humming a jazz tune under his breath as he did so. The old man was staying in the city for the next few weeks before heading off to London and Howard was taking full advantage of his father's absence. He smirked smugly as he tuned his fuzzy senses into the voices and music coming from the main part of the house.

Definitely taking advantage.

It was his birthday after all…sweet sixteen. He snorted to himself and began to raise his hand for a drink only to realize that he did not have one. He blinked dazedly for a second before shaking his head. Oh, he was drunk.

He glanced around the richly furnished room and tried to remember why he had stumbled inside. He hated this room…this place was strictly his father's. The one place where he had received every stern lecture and beating. If the walls could talk, he was sure they would speak of Senior's brusqueness, his arrogance…his cruelty. No love.

So why was he here? He had been looking for something. His eyes landed on the built in bookcase across from him. The smell of well-worn leather and old, musty pages drawing his attention. Almost lazily his hand drifted along the polished edge of the shelving. His original purpose for being in the office was completely forgotten. Howard sighed softly to himself. He should go back to his party this place was just making him bitter. He began to step away when he felt something give beneath his fingers. Curiosity bit through his hazy mind and his eyes turned to the ledge he had been fondling. He did not see anything, but his fingers brushed the spot again and this time he placed more pressure.

Click.

The bottom half of the shelf slipped down and an inch thick book dropped from inside. Howard stared, stunned by the secret cache he had found. Almost automatically, he crouched down to pick up the book. What could possibly be so important to hide in here? His fingers gripped the hard edge of the book's cover as he flipped to a random page. His eyes quickly took in the scratchy scrawl that he knew to be his father's and raised an eyebrow in surprise. A journal?

He sank to the floor and quickly flipped to the first page and made note of the date. 1927. Just before he turned eight. Unable to help himself he began to read, forgetting about the party on the other side of the doors. It was nearly one in the morning when he came across one entry in particular. The majority of his guests had left Stark Manor while a few remained passed out in the Great Room which suited Howard just fine.

 _1/31 Samuel arrived at the house last night. He had the gall to inform me that Junior would be remaining with his family for an indefinite period of time. Called me an unfit father and told me he intends to bring legal action upon me. He wants full custody of my son. This will never happen. The way I discipline my child is none of his concern. Arrangements have been made with Ian Grimes. Samuel's death will look like an accident. My sister understands._

His heart pounded in his ears and he felt his stomach turn with fragrant horror and disbelief at the words he read. No one was around to see the tears that poured down his face or the muted panic that had overcome his demeanor. He was no longer drunk. He needed Birdie. Without thinking he dropped the ledger and practically ran from the room.

Howard took the stairs two at a time. He could not stop shaking as he made his way towards the guest room that Birdie always used when she stayed over. He had lost track of her earlier in the evening, but knew that she had not left the manor. His hand latched onto the doorknob, but was stopped short when the door did not budge.

He growled, he did not have time for this.

Wiping angrily at his eyes he raised his other hand to pound on the door.

Come on, Birdie, wake up!

He did not have to wait long as suddenly the door was swung open to reveal his irate cousin clutching a sheet to her naked form, "What!"

He swallowed, the words stuck in his throat as he tried not to scream. The inked letters from the ledger burned in his mind. He could only stare pleadingly at her as he remembered the day they had found out about Samuel Turner's death. Elena had cried for days, locking herself away in her room and refusing to speak to anyone…including him. She was going to hate him.

She frowned at him as she noticed his red rimmed eyes and the tear tracks coating his face. He had not cried in front of her in years and to see him so visibly upset was a bit jolting. Her eyes searched his face for some hint of what was going on, "Howard?"

"I have to show you something. You need to come downstairs." He whispered raggedly.

Elena continued to stare at him, but slowly nodded. He knew on some level he was scaring her as she hesitantly closed the door to get dressed, but he did not know what else to do. He heard a low exchanged of voices and shook his head as he realized that under normal circumstances he would be giving her hell for sneaking off with someone during his party. Under normal circumstances he would be the one caught with a girl, not the other way around. After what seemed like an eternity she reappeared in a dressing gown, the slightly skewed neckline of her nightgown peeking out from underneath. She did not even have a chance to question him before he grabbed her hand to pull her downstairs.

When they arrived back in his father's office, he felt Birdie tense. She hated this room almost as much as he did, though he was never quite sure why. Her questioning gaze burned into his back, but he could not bring himself to meet her stare. His hands trembled as he reached down to pick up the journal he had dropped. His eyes closed and he took deep breaths. He had to show her.

"Howard?" Her voice was so quiet, her worry obvious, "What is it? Has something happened?"

Howard shook his head still unable to voice what he needed to tell her. Instead, he quickly found the page he needed and shove the book into her hands, "Read."

Elena's brow furrowed, but she did not argue as she turned her gaze toward the book. Howard watched her intently as she devoured the words from the journal. Surprise and then a hard steel of anger glittered across his cousin's face. She did not panic like he did. Her hands calmly flipped back a few pages, skimming each entry as she went, "What is this, Howard? Where did you get this?"

"I stumbled in here earlier and found it." He whispered bitterly.

It was not until she looked up that Howard felt his breath hitch. Birdie was nowhere near as calm as her controlled movements suggested. The anger he had seen was so very real, but now he could see her burning pain. The tumultuous storm of overwhelming emotion bottled up inside. She was struggling wildly to keep control of herself, "Birdie."

"Don't." Elena snapped. Her hands curled tightly around the journal as she went back to reading.

Howard turned away from her. He could not bear to see the weeping wound that he had reopened. His father…. HER father – his uncle. He paced over to the windows and stared into the darkened sky. Leaning his head against the cool glass he choked back a sob.

"Howard." He nearly jumped at the strangled sound of his name. His hazel eyes whipped around to his cousin, only to find her staring numbly at the damn book. The tears that she had held back were now streaming desperately down her cheeks, "How much did you read?"

Her distraught tone had him by her side in seconds as he reached for the leather tomb. What more could there be? Wasn't her father's murder enough? His eyes claimed the page she had been reading. He did not get more than few words in before the same numbness that had taken over Birdie, took over him as well.

 _10/31 She should never have tried to leave me. I don't know how she knew what I had done to Samuel. She actually stood before me and listed my crimes. Threatening to expose the murder to all if I ever came after her. My timid Annalisa was suddenly so brave. She didn't understand that she could never leave. No one leaves Howard Stark. She wasn't so brave after that..._

 _…on the stairs..._

 _There was a crack. Her neck had snapped…_

"What are we going to do?" Elena whispered.

"I have to find her." Howard stated calmly, too calmly as Birdie's attention swung wildly on him. He was still reading, "She's buried somewhere on the grounds. I have to know, Birdie."

Elena looked sick, but nodded her head. She didn't even blink as he threw the journal across the room. His mother was dead.

His mother was dead…his mother was dead.

He sunk to the ground pulling Birdie with him. She curled into his side and he could feel his shirt begin to dampen as she let herself cry. His mother was dead. He bit his tongue and laid his head on hers. He never really noticed that he was crying too. His mother was dead.

Happy Birthday, Howard.

* * *

 **1937 Manhattan**

There was something very comforting about the night. The streets grew quiet and the world seemed to soften into shadows and dim lights. Everything became muted and still and for just a moment in time Elena felt like she could breathe. She wasn't being suffocated by noise, people, decisions. She felt no pressure besides the slight chill in the air. Almost lazily she wrapped her coat a little tighter around her as she gazed absently up into the sky. Despite the darkness, New York was still too well lit for her to see the stars. It made her ache for the fields in Kingston – the only real time she missed her childhood home.

Almost distantly the peels of soft laughter and drunken muttering swirled through her ears and almost belatedly she realized the engagement party was ending as the stragglers stumbled down the front steps of the Lansington home. Howard had left forty minutes earlier with some strange blonde and that had been her early warning to return – she had ignored that warning. Elena sighed internally, she had been gone for too long from the party then. Brennan had nearly cornered her by the band and it was the last straw for her. She had deftly scooted around her mother and found her coat to wait outside. Manners dictated that she make her goodbyes to the Lansington's, but as the last of the party-goers drifted away she couldn't bring herself to go back inside.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

Elena barely managed to hold in a shriek as she started with fright. Her hand flew to her rapidly beating heart as she turned quickly towards what was becoming a familiar voice only to find Bucky grinning impishly at her. He had come down the side of the alley she was lurking in. She could smack him, "Christ James, make some noise when you walk."

Bucky snickered lightly as he offered his arm, "Now where would the fun in that be, Doll?"

Elena glared lightly at him as she felt heart calm down. She made no move toward him however, "Don't call me doll. I'm not a toy."

"Fair enough." Bucky murmured as his smile turned less entertained and more soft as he stepped forward, "I'm sorry for startling you, Ellie. Do you still want to do this or should I walk you home?"

Elena felt her lips twitch slightly under his sincere gaze – she didn't want to admit that she was becoming fond of his nickname for her, "It would be a long walk. My apartment isn't very close."

Bucky cocked a brow, "Is that so? Does that mean we're still on...?"

Elena held in a giggle as she watched him fumble for a word to accurately described their rather vague plans. Instead she gave him a small smile as she said, "I wouldn't mind going for a walk if you're amenable."

"Amenable?" Bucky said amused, not sure he had ever heard someone actually used that word in a sentence. He licked his lips as he nodded, "I would be very amenable to a walk, Miss. Turner."

Elena laughed despite herself at the snobbish accent he had adopted, knowing very well that he was teasing her. She felt the tell-tale signs of a blush spreading up the back of her neck and tried to ignore the ridiculous fluttering in her stomach as he offered his arm again and this time she accepted.

They walked in silence for a few blocks. Both unsure on how to start a conversation, but also enjoying the small game of sneaking glances at each other and sharing secret smiles when one caught the other looking. It was only when it felt like the silence had gone on too long that Bucky started, "So..."

"So...?" Elena parroted back as she met his curious gaze.

Bucky for his part fought to find something more to say as he stared at her. For what felt like the hundredth time that night he took in her carefully styled curls, light makeup and the barest glimpse of the satin dress that had slipped between his fingers earlier. She looked like one of the movie stars stepped off the silver screen to him and he had to wonder why she was even giving him the time of day. Yet, the imaged of concerned blue eyes flashed through his head and he had to ask, "So, are you ever gonna tell me why you and your cousin were at Mac's?"

Elena blinked in surprised as she realized he was speaking of the brawl room she had found Howard a few weeks previous. She raised a brow, "I don't recall you ever asking for reason. Am I not allowed in Mac's?"

"Not exactly a place you'd find a girl like you." Bucky responded without actually answering her question. He knew better than to say that he would never allow a dame like her into a joint like that, "Not exactly a place you'd find a guy like your cousin either."

That was a statement he would stand by after seeing Howard mingling in the crowd of blue bloods. He was another one that Bucky had done a double take on as he worked. Howard had looked completely different from the sweaty, disheveled mess he had been Mac's.

Elena shrugged as her thoughts turned a little dark. She couldn't really disagree with his assessment, but then he didn't know Howard. He didn't know what a magnet her cousin was for trouble or that he would purposefully seek those places out, "The way Howard puts it is that sometimes you just need to hit something."

As if sensing her discomfort, he frowned thoughtfully, "Bad day then."

Elena paused as she heard the understanding in his voice and wondered if this need to beat on others was a guy thing, "You could say that. It was his birthday, amongst other things."

Bucky's frowned deepened, "Aren't birthdays supposed to be a happy thing?"

"Usually" Elena murmured sadly, knowing that her birthday's had never been much of a happy affair either, "He discovered some bad news on his sixteenth birthday. He hasn't much liked his birthday since."

"How long ago was that?"

"Two years."

It had been a little less than one since Howard Senior had died and the realization made Elena's stomach twist with guilt. If Bucky noticed how pale she suddenly turned, he said nothing.

"Jesus." He muttered slightly regretting his line of questioning as he saw the haunted look in Elena's oceany eyes, "Two years ago? He just turned eighteen? How old are you?"

His abrupt change of questioning effectively shook Elena from her thoughts. She tried not to smile at the actually rather rude question, but couldn't help a faint smirk as she teased, "Don't you know you're not supposed to ask a girl that question?"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Bucky promised with a cheeky grin.

Elena chuckled and rolled her eyes as she said, "I'm nineteen."

"Ah, still a baby." The grin that spread across his lips was absolutely mischievous and it was only then that Elena noticed that they had stopped walking.

Even as she felt the persistent butterflies in her stomach that she was beginning to associate with him, Elena made a face as retorted, "Yeah, well you did kiss this baby earlier."

Bucky laughed as he shook his head, "I believe it was you who kissed me, sweetheart. Not that I minded."

"You didn't?" Elena said coyly as she met his gaze again, satisfied to see the same heat she was feeling in his eyes.

"Not even a little." Bucky shook his head as he gently pulled her against him. He dipped his head down and sighed as he brushed his lips against hers. It was a gentle kiss. One that was more inquisitive than heated as his hands slipped inside her coat to slide over the sleek satin of her dress to rest at her hips. He grinned as she leaned more fully into him, expertly pushing him against the wall of the building behind them. Her hands tangled into the little hairs at the back of his neck again. Her lips were soft, but gone was the taste of champagne. More reluctantly he pulled away slowly, pleased when he heard the faintest mewl of protest.

He quickly took in the light flush of her cheeks and the curious glint in her dark blue eyes and damn if that wasn't the best sight he had ever seen, "You know usually girls don't like moving this fast."

"Is that so?" Elena murmured in such a way that told him that he could either be treading on dangerous territory or wildly entertaining the socialite before him.

"There's usually dinner and dancing involved first. I think you rich folk would know it as a date." Bucky said sagely, unconsciously rubbing his thumbs in circles on her hips.

The friction of the dress against her skin sent flames pooling into her stomach even as she considered the novelty of going on a date. If Elena was honest she had never actually gone on a date. She had been to cotillions, had become a debutante much to her own disgust and her mother's joy. From a very young age Vitoria Turner had made it clear what was expected from her daughter. Elena was to be a proper socialite and there was an entirely different set of rules that went with that game. She far preferred to make and follow her own rules. She attended social functions and parties with gentlemen and if she happened to enjoy their company had invited them into her bed. She couldn't think of a single time she had gone to dinner with a man she wasn't related to...

"Hey, you still with me?" Bucky asked quietly as he watched her gaze become distant and a frown coloring her mouth. For a moment, he worried he had said something wrong until she looked at him puzzled.

"I don't think I've ever been on a date."

His eyes widen, stunned, "What?"

Elena's mouth opened and closed for a second as she tried to find the words to explain, "I've been someone's date, but I don't think that's the same as being on a date."

Bucky shook his head, trying to understand as he asked, "So let me get this straight. No man has ever asked you to dinner? Or a picture? Dancing?"

"...No...Well, not – no." Elena answered slowly, "Does being asked to attend a gala with someone count?"

"No." Bucky responded perplexed and more than a little amused, "Ellie, how is that possible?"

She shrugged, "It's just not how things are done... At least not with me."

"Uh huh." He shifted his stance against the wall as he considered the woman before him. She wasn't a stranger to a man's touch. The way she responded to his light touches, the confidence she had when she had kissed him. And while she was by no means an old maid, she should be familiar with dating by now, "Ellie?"

"Hmm?"

He waited until he had her full attention, tilting his head as he caught her deep blue stare again, "How do you do things?"

Elena smirked faintly, "I want something, I go after it."

Bucky was both unsurprised and mildly horrified by that answer. He snorted in amusement as he realized that she was the very definition of a fast woman. He wondered if he was out of his depth. He was sure he was, but just couldn't find it in himself to care, "You are something else, you know that?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Elena questioned quietly, a little disquieted by his interest. It was different from the type of curiosity she usually courted from men and she couldn't put a finger on why.

"Don't know yet. I can say you're definitely not boring, though." Bucky said quietly as he pushed off the wall and laced her arm through his again, "How about I walk you home?"

Elena stayed in place as she gazed at him uncertainly, "James?"

He paused for a moment as he noted the sudden wariness he unintentionally caused in the brunette and tried to hide his grin. She really wasn't like the girls he was used to, but the didn't mean he wasn't going to treat her right, "Oh sweetheart, if we're gonna do this then we're doing it right."

"Meaning?"

"Ellie, would like to have dinner with me this Friday?" Bucky asked softly with a gentle tug of her arm.

To his delight and Elena's embarrassment her cheeks turned a light pink as she murmured, "Today is Friday?"

"No, it's now Saturday." He corrected as he finally managed to get her to walk with him, "Which gives me seven days to figure out where I'm gonna take you and for you to get ready for your first date."

"Are you serious?" Elena pushed gently, suddenly feeling shy and just as bewildered as Bucky had been earlier. It was an emotion she had not experienced in a long time and she found that she did not care to feel it now. She felt a vague wave of irritation at how easily the man before her could make her lose her balance.

"Completely." He raised a knowing brow at her, suddenly feeling like he was talking to Steve, "It'll be fun. I promise."

There was a quiet moment as the two studied each other. It didn't last long before Elena hesitantly nodded her acquiescence, making Bucky crow triumphantly. She rolled her eyes as she followed his lead, "Okay so tell me, what usually happens on a date?"

The grin that Bucky bestowed on her could only be described as wicked as he uttered, "I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: If all I could do was write banter, I think I would. I love parts of this chapter and dislike parts, but I'm having fun developing a relationship between the 19 year old and Elena and the 20 year old Bucky - they're much more innocent at these ages in many ways and I hope that's coming off okay. Please read, review and enjoy. **Special thanks to:my 3 Guests, Ohmicrofilmm LadyStrider17, and Markup for reviewing.** I really appreciate your feedback you guys.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **1937 New York**

He was panicking.

Bucky groaned internally as he rifled through his bureau to find his favorite vest. His coat was laying on the bed along with his hat and the only pair of cufflinks he owned. He felt shaky with undo nerves as he finally found his vest and tugged it on. It was irritating and thrilling to feel this queasy over a date. In all honesty he couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous over a girl, but as he thought of Ellie's curious blue eyes and her faint little smirk... well she was worth the nerves.

"I take it Mitsy finally said yes." Steve drawled from the doorway. His book bag was still slung over his shoulder, telling Bucky that his friend had just made it home.

A quick glance at his watch told Bucky that is was later in the afternoon than he anticipated and he cursed softly. If he was going to catch the train into the city, he would have to book it, "Not Mitsy. She's still not giving me the time of day."

Steve raised a brow as he watched his surrogate brother quickly shove his wallet and keys into his pocket before fiddling with his cufflinks. The cufflinks that Steve had only seen come out for the few special occasions and a funeral the duo had attended, "So...who is she?"

"Ellie. Her name's Ellie." Bucky answered distractedly as he fingers nimbly knotted his tie before tucking it into his vest. Christ his hands were shaking, "Remember the dame that I met at Mac's a few weeks ago?"

Steve's eyes widen incredulously, "You mean your angel that you crooned about for a week? You found her?"

"Uh huh, she agreed to go out with me tonight. " Bucky flashed his friend a smug grin as he finished getting ready, "Don't wait up."

Steve snorted with a shake of his head as he threw back, "You're expecting a lot from a first date, Buck."

Bucky snickered lightly as he thought of the oddly impatient look he had received from Elena when their nightly venture the week before hadn't gone passed kissing. He hadn't been lying when he said he was going to do things right with her. It had taken all of his strength of will when she had pouted at him, but he didn't intend to be as much of a gentleman tonight, "We'll see."

Steve rolled his eyes at the cocky tone, knowing that Bucky usually had a six sense about these things. As the door clicked shut behind his surrogate brother, he glanced at his watch and frowned at the early hour. It was too soon for dinner, he had to wonder what plans Bucky had for tonight.

What Steve didn't know was that Bucky was scrambling for a plan himself. He knew the best places to take a girl in Brooklyn. Elena lived in Manhattan, however. Not far from some rather ritzy clubs that Bucky would kill to go if he only had the money. It was the other aspect of taking Elena out that made him nervous. Despite the fact that Ellie had said she had never been on a date before, she was still used to some rather swanky places. Places that Bucky definitely couldn't afford and he hoped that whatever he came up with tonight wouldn't be too much of a let down.

The long train ride did nothing to help him. Bucky was running low on creative first date ideas as he stepped off the train and on to the platform. He had maybe ten minutes left and all he could think to do was take her to a theatre. Sighing dejectedly to himself, he turned toward the steps that led to the street and stopped as he caught sight of a new mural. He tilted his head to the side and smiled as an idea began to form. He hoped Elena didn't mind walking.

Two blocks and a brief staring contest with a snooty doorman later, Bucky was knocking on Elena's door. A loud thump sounded almost immediately after his knock and he tried not smirk as he heard muffled cursing on the other side of the door. It was strange how the sounds of unpreparedness seemed to ease his nerves. He didn't have to wait long as he heard the clinking of a lock turning in place and he caught the first glimpses of his date. His nerves settled further as he took in the white blouse and simple blue skirt she was wearing. He had half expected her to be as dolled up as she had the week previous – waiting for him in a satin gown with perfectly coiffed curls. She had let her hair down into a loose wave with one side pinned back behind her ear.

Bucky hadn't realized he'd been staring until Elena fidgeted and looked down at her outfit a little self-consciously, "Am I underdressed or is it too much?" She smoothed an anxious hand over her skirt as she gestured somewhere behind her, "I can change."

"NO!" Bucky answered a little too hastily, before he sent her a furtive smile, "No, you look beautiful. Perfect really. I was just surprised is all."

Elena furrowed her brow curiously, "Surprised?"

"I still have your movie starlet look stuck in my head. Good look, mind you. But this is a little more approachable."Bucky explained a little sheepishly, relieved when she looked at him with dawning understanding and a little amusement.

Elena grinned playfully, "Are you saying I'm hard to approach, James?"

Bucky shrugged, "You can be a little intimidating."

Elena bit her lip as held back several retorts and instead murmured, "Well as long as I'm only a little intimidating I can deal with that."

"Yeah? Miss I prefer horns to wings." Bucky teased lightly as he remembered her quip from weeks ago.

To his delight, Elena colored slightly at the memory as she replied, "Yes."

Bucky chuckled as he decided to let up on his teasing a little. There was time to make her blush more later as he gestured toward her door, "So? Are you ready to go...?"

"Yes..yes, let me just grab my things." He waited patiently as she tugged on her coat and hat. Elena briefly met his gaze through the mirror as she finished checking her complexion, grinning a little sheepishly as well, "I don't suppose I get a hint about where we're going..."

"Actually, you get to choose the first part of our date." Bucky said lightly as they exited her apartment, "Brooklyn and Queens I know like the back of my hand. Manhattan's a little more hit or miss with me. So I figured you would know of some good places for food and we have the added bonus of knowing you're already gonna like it."

"A very sound proposal." Elena agreed with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. It was the only warning Bucky received before she started spouting off names of restaurants that he knew were expensive by the sound. In truth, she was glad he was giving her a choice in the night's ventures. She was never fond of being out of control and he had just allowed her to retain a small semblance of it. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't have a little fun, as well, "Well, Pierre's does an exquisite fillet mignon, but a reservation is required. The San Monique would be a rather lovely dinner spot."

"Right..." Bucky murmured as he managed to keep a blank face.

"Or even the Marquis has divine meals." Elena peered up at him with a sly smile. She could admit that he had a hell of a poker face, but she was just as good at spotting anxiety in others. She considered her people reading skills a talent developed from watching her mother in a crowd, "However, I think I'd rather go to Al's."

Bucky raised a brow, half suspecting that she was messing with him, but also terrified that Al's was another five star restaurant and he would have to pay his soul to cover both their meals, "Al's? Does Al cook a mean fillet mignon too?"

Elena snickered and shrugged, "No clue, but he does make one of the best milkshakes I've ever had. The burgers aren't bad either."

"You know, the more time I spend around you the less angelic you become." Bucky murmured dryly much to Elena's amusement. He shook his head as he watched her struggle not to grin at him, "So where is this best milkshake place."

Elena looped her arm through his and shifted her weight to guide him down the street, "It's not far. We can walk from here. Actually, it's kind of my little secret. Whenever I've had a bad day – which is usually when one of my teachers has been a right... jackanape or I've seen my mother. I end up at Al's. It's almost halfway between my apartment and campus."

Bucky glanced down at her in amusement, "Jackanape?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Elena stated with a touch of exasperation, "I know you know what I meant."

Bucky chuckled as he teased her, "Yeah, but I wouldn't have been offended if you had said your teacher was an ass. Or does such language offend your delicate sensibilities?"

Elena snorted as he brought out his high class accent again. It made her wonder if she sounded like that and nearly winced, "My sensibilities are not so delicate. I'm sure I know quite a few words that would make you blush, James."

"Oh yeah?"

Elena met his gaze squarely as she offered one last warning, "Well you do recall I am studying to be a nurse?"

"So? Do nurses learn shameful curses in their studies?" Bucky questioned, unconcerned. He couldn't think of a single thing she could say that would make him blush or squirm. There weren't many crude and offensive sayings that he hadn't heard.

Elena raised an imperious brow as her sly smile returned, "Oh not shameful curses, but we do gain a very interesting vocabulary and extensive knowledge of anatomy. Would you like to know what happens to the male anatomy as you age? I can go into great detail about your erectile function and prostate glands. Or perhaps the female anatomy would be preferable. Would you like to hear about the changes a woman's body goes through with pregnancy?"

Bucky blinked as he felt like he had just been blindsided by a left hook. Elena looked almost gleeful at his slightly queasy expression and he knew he would be squirming if he let her continue that conversation, "You win."

"You sure?" Elena goaded with a gloating smile.

"Oh yeah, I would like to be able to eat diner if its all the same to you." Bucky threw back with a shake of his head, "Or, you know, look you in the eye."

Elena giggled lightly as she gently assured, "I don't think you would've had a problem with that... besides I would never spoil your appetite."

"Is that a promise?" Bucky asked roguishly, grinning at the new flush in Elena's cheeks and the knowing glower she sent him.

"Oh no, buddy." Elena started with a stern finger point, though the glimmer of amusement that danced in her gaze told Bucky she was anything, but serious, "You made me wait a week. You can wait until we get to the conclusion of this date."

"Try and show a girl a good time..." Bucky drawled grinning.

Elena snorted, "Yeah, well, I tried to show a guy a good time and was put on hold."

The two continued to banter back and forth as they headed to Al's. Bucky was pleasantly surprised to find Al's to be a rather low key diner. He would have missed it had Elena not stopped abruptly to turn towards the door. The chagrined smile that she sent him let Bucky know she had almost lost track of where they were.

Al's was a rather lively place that actually reminded Bucky of Mel's in Brooklyn. College students seem to take up every empty corner and a few older regulars held spots at the booth and counter. Waitresses almost seemed to dance as they flowed past moving customers to lay plates and checks at tables. Bucky watched everything curiously before he felt Elena grasp his hand and tug him down the side of the restaurant to snag a booth whose occupants were just departing.

"Popular place." Bucky murmured as he slid across from Elena. He wasn't sure that Mel's ever got this crowded, but as he spared another glance to the diner he noted that more than a few tables had milkshakes. He raised a brow as he realized that Elena wasn't the only one to share the opinion that Al's milkshakes were the best, "I get the feeling I'm not leaving this place without trying a milkshake."

Elena followed his gaze and grinned, she hadn't been lying about the shakes. She turned back to him with a shrug, "I won't force you, but they are pretty darn good."

"Well if they're pretty darn good." Bucky replied sagely as he grabbed a menu from the tables edge and passed her another. He smiled faintly as he caught the way she barely glanced at any of the items, "You really do come here regularly."

"A girl's gotta eat." Elena said simply as she watched him peruse the menu. He had removed his hat when they had entered, allowing her to see his face fully for the first time that night. A single strand of hair had fallen forward and curled slightly on his forehead. It looked cute and she had to wonder if his hair had a natural wave. Her fingers twitched with the desire to run through his locks, she remembered very well how soft his hair felt. She had been pleasantly surprised to find that he actually used very little product in his mane. Water and a comb he had told her after a rather intense kissing session.

"You're staring."

"No, I'm observing."

Bucky flicked his eyes up to meet hers knowingly, "So being contrary is your thing, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that..." Elena paused, regretting the words as soon as she spoke because she had just proved his point and by the smirk that crossed his lips he knew it as well, "Maybe I'm a little contrary." She ignored the soft snort that Bucky emitted as she decided to change the subject, "So, we're having dinner... What else do you have planned for tonight?"

"You'll see." Bucky said vaguely, thoroughly enjoying the lightly frustrated look he received from her in return.

"James..." Elena wheedled, "Just a hint."

He flicked his eyes back to the menu as he muttered, "Hope your shoes are comfortable."

Elena blinked as she raced through the possibilities that statement just presented, "Dancing?"

"Nope." Bucky replied as he snap the menu shut and put it back to the side. He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited for her next guess, "Though we can do that next week."

"Maybe...I'm not very good at dancing." Elena admitted quietly as she thought of the many times that Howard had tried to drag her into a jazz club. She enjoyed the music and the atmosphere, but the fast-paced movements of swing dancing left her more than a little out of her element.

Bucky's brow furrowed, "What are you talking about? I saw you dancing last week at the party."

She shook her head, "That's different. It was mostly waltzes and believe me, I have the steps for every waltz, tango, and foxtrot burned into my brain, but what's done in the clubs... I'd have an easier time sticking my foot in my mouth."

"Have you tried?" Bucky asked as he gained the sneaking suspicion that Elena was a bit like Steve in regards to dancing. His best friend was always too afraid of making a mistake and looking like a fool to really give dancing a chance, but the mistakes were half the fun. The two barely paid attention to the waitress as they distractedly gave their orders.

"Dancing or putting my foot in my mouth?" At Bucky's exasperated expression, Elena pursed her lips as she nodded, "Yes, I've tried."

He looked at her pointedly, "More than once?"

"I think once was more than enough." Elena responded glibly.

Bucky shook his head at her, as he silently made it clear that dancing was going to occur in the near future, "Ellie, you learned how to do these other dances -"

"I learned against my will." Elena defended before he had a chance to finish which was a statement that ignited a whole new conversation. One that held Bucky in slight disbelief and wry amusement as Elena reluctantly relaid the details of proper cotillion and debutante etiquette. Dinner went faster than either expected as they fell from one conversation to the next. Most were childhood tales that spoke of the ridiculous antics they would enact with their companions.

It was much later and much quieter in Al's when the duo finally decided to leave. Bucky offered his arm as they stepped into the chilly night air. He purposefully ignored Elena's curious gaze. She had given up on trying to pull the answer to their next destination out of him, but hadn't stopped asking questions that could give her more of a clue as to what he had planned. In a way, he was glad of Elena's choice in restaurant because it actually left them closer to his destination than he had anticipated.

"I've only been here once. Stevie showed it to me when he took me to campus. So there's a good chance you already know about this place." Bucky began to explain as they neared Columbia's campus.

Elena frowned thoughtfully as she tried to think of what was nearby, but nothing was coming to mind, "What is Steve majoring in?"

"Architecture, I think." Bucky replied as he tried to remember what Steve had chosen. In truth, Steve had waffled between three different majors for months before choosing one and then switching to another – so he wasn't quite sure which discipline his surrogate brother had gone into, "He's taking a lot of art classes, I know that."

"Then there's a good chance I haven't seen whatever it is you're going to show me." Elena murmured, "Each major has their own little secret gems to discover."

"What's the one for nursing?"

Elena smiled benignly, "Easier to show than explain."

"So is this place." Bucky replied sagely as he shifted to grab her hand and pull her down what looked like an entrance to a subway station. The gates were pulled over and Elena frowned as she watched Bucky jiggle with the lock at the side and push the gate back, "Stevie told me that it started as a joke and just kinda exploded from there – I thought it was pretty impressive though."

Elena took his hand again as he led her down the rest of the steps and into a dimly lit corridor. The lights surprised her, but as she stepped more fully into the tunnel her surprise turned into amazement as she looked around. Every inch of the corridor was covered in a mural. Or many murals. The dim lighting was simply lanterns that lined the walls to set off the array of art. She took in the deep vibrant colors and lines. Elena felt like she had just found the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

As her gaze fell back on Bucky, it took her several minutes to realize that they weren't alone. Her blues eyes bounced down the hall to find the vague forms of people, either adding to the walls or chatting quietly amongst themselves. Even more distantly she could hear music. A slow blues tune played out on a saxophone.

"Jimmy?" She whispered quietly almost missing the wry look she was given at the nickname that slipped passed her lips.

He leaned closer into her as he whispered back, "It's something else ain't it?"

"It's beautiful." Elena murmured awestruck as she let him guide further into the abandoned station. There was something new around every corner and she felt like she was going to miss a detail if she blinked. She nodded as Bucky pointed out odd little depictions here or there, smiled as he whispered silly jokes into her ear when she became too entranced. The station was magical in her opinion.

She wasn't sure how long they had spent in the tunnel, but it felt like a century as they explored. Much to her chagrin and Bucky's amusement he managed to sweep her up into a slow dance before she was fully cognizant of it happening.

"See, you can dance just fine." Bucky whispered as they swayed to the soft echoes of the saxophone.

"Mmm." Elena hummed noncomittedly with a shy smile, "You lied."

Bucky quirked a brow, "When did I lie?"

"You said you weren't going to take me dancing tonight." She answered lightly, the mischievous twinkle back in her eye.

Bucky licked his lip and chuckled, "Caught me... I just couldn't resist."

"Is that so?" Elena murmured as she met his stare. She felt her heart skip a beat at the intensity of his gaze. The light in the tunnel seemed to disappear and she could see was him. The nerves that both had experienced earlier that night dissolved into flutters and sparks of a different kind. A shiver raced down Elena's back. She wasn't sure who leaned in first, but she wouldn't forget the way his lips felt against hers as they kissed. Soft... so soft and gentle and as she fell into him and deepened the kiss she caught stray tastes of vanilla. A smile tugged at her lips when they finally parted, "Just the best milkshakes."

Bucky's steely-blue eyes lit up with humor as he laughed, "Well, they are pretty darn good."

Elena giggled, "I have to say this is has been a pretty amazing date."

"Yeah?" Bucky asked almost shyly.

"Yeah." She confirmed as she leaned up to kiss him again.

* * *

 **1927 Brooklyn, New York**

He would not cry.

He would not cry.

Steve Rogers clenched his eyes shut as he struggled to ignore the ache in his chest. His lungs burned for air, but he was fairly sure that his heart was hurting more. He could still here Richie Longs shrill cackle in his ears.

He would not cry.

The baseball had slammed hard into his stomach…he should have caught it, but it had come so fast. He tried to suck in air, but even his throat seemed to be working against him as his muscles tightened, forcing him to choke on nothing. The worried murmurs and uneasy chuckles had burned into his mind as well. It was supposed to have been a fun game. Yet, Richie was still laughing away. Steve didn't doubt he had slugged the ball at him on purpose. Richie had never liked him.

He would not cry.

Oh God, he was getting dizzy. Steve could practically feel the sounds around him fading out. Or maybe that was his vision. He just felt so tired. The world was spinning and black. He gasped again for air, but that only made it worse. He heard a horrible cry….something that sounded like a bear before he lost all consciousness.

When he woke again it was to the disapproving gaze of one of the nuns from the orphanage. He blinked a few times as he attempted to figure out how he had managed to get from the park to his bed. If it weren't for the ache from both his stomach and chest then he would have assumed he had dreamt the whole baseball game. Steve silently wished he had, it would have proven less embarrassing. He should have known that Richie would never let him play. He sighed slowly as he watched the nun chide him for being so careless. He had been careless…he did know better. No one wanted to be friends with the weak, angry kid.

"You're not weak."

"Wha..?" Steve blinked, not realizing he had spoken aloud or that the nun had left. He twisted his head to the side only to be met with steely blue-grey eyes and a fierce scowl from a boy his age. He nearly shrunk back in his bed from that look, but curiosity had him straightening. Bucky – His name was Bucky…maybe.

"You're not weak." The boy repeated, though this time a bit softer as he lost the scowl. He shifted uncomfortably and for a moment Steve was sure he was going to leave, "That's not why the other kids aren't friends with you."

Steve was pretty sure that his disbelief was written all over of his face. Being weak was exactly why he didn't have any friends. Who wanted to be friends with the kid who was always sick? Who couldn't run without wheezing? Who – why did it matter? He heaved a sigh again, "It's nice of you to say, but it really doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does." Bucky said firmly and Steve could almost believe him, "You shouldn't say things like that about yourself…it's not right."

Steve nearly rolled his eyes, "Lots of things ain't right…me included."

"You're a…a…a punk, you know!" Steve's eyes widen slightly in bemusement at the sudden insult, but he found himself more focused on the irritated expression of the other boy. He had never met someone so determined to prove him wrong –aside from his mother. Yet, Bucky's steely eyes blazed as he plowed on, "There ain't nothing wrong with ya…aside from having a hard head."

"Says who?" Steve murmured almost miserably. Even he nearly winced at the desperation clouding his voice. When had he become so needy?

With a proud finger the boy pointed at himself, "Me! James B. Barnes…though everybody calls me, Bucky."

"What kind of name is Bucky?" Steve blurted before he could stop himself. Distantly, he wondered if he was about to chase away the only person that seemed to want to talk to him.

The question didn't faze the other boy at all as he securely stated, "Mine."

And for a brief moment Steve was in awe of this boy. He was in awe of his confidence and unwillingness to back down, but even in his awe he couldn't help but challenge him, "Well, Bucky…then why don't you tell me why I don't have friends."

Bucky shrugged lightly, "That's easy. It's cuz you still have your mom."

Steve froze, unable to comprehend what he was being told. His sky blue gaze searched Bucky's face, but found no sign of teasing. He was completely serious and a little uncomfortable as the silence between the two stretched on. Steve, however, felt lost, "What do you mean?"

To Bucky the answer was obvious, but the uncertainty flowing from Steve in waves made the other boy question how much the blonde understood the world he now resided in, "She comes every week. We all see her….The other kids are just jealous. Seeing you with your mom hurts cuz it reminds us that our moms and dads aren't ever gonna come."

"Oh." It's the only thing that Steve can bring himself to say. What was he supposed to say to that? Sorry that my mom loves me? He swallowed another sigh, he had been right in saying that a reason didn't matter. He couldn't change his mother's love any more than he could change being sick and he wouldn't want to either.

On Bucky's part, he seemed to realize that his words had caused more harm than good to the other boy and he suddenly looked contrite. He shuffled in place as he tried to work out a way to fix the trouble he had caused, "She seems nice…your mom."

"She is." Steve whispered, unsure where Bucky was going with his comment and was unwilling to push on with the conversation. He was beginning to wish the other boy would just leave. He didn't need pity. Honestly, he had no idea why the dark haired boy hadn't left, "You don't have to stay, you know?"

"Can't leave." Bucky muttered sheepishly with another shrug, "I'm in time-out until Sister Agatha gets me."

Steve once again found himself blinking in confusion before wincing in sympathy. If Sister Agatha was coming, then Bucky was about to be spanked with the paddle... and that was never pleasant. He couldn't keep his curiosity to himself if he tried, "Oh…why?"

Bucky tugged on his ear and looked away with a muttered, "I broke Richie Long's nose."

Steely-blue eyes peaked back at him and grinned at the amazement that showcased on Steve's face. Richie Long was twelve though, and a giant compared to his and Bucky's ten-year old selves. Steve could only gape, stunned, "You broke Richie's nose!"

"Well…yeah." Bucky said as if he did this kind of thing all the time.

What did Steve know, maybe he did do this thing all the time. He slumped back in his bed as he tried to process the fact that his archenemy for the past three months had been beaten up by the scrawny boy next to him. He couldn't stop the chuckle that erupted from his throat. He wished he had been there to see it. Bucky took his laughter the wrong way though, as his brow puckered self-consciously and a defensive frown marred his lips, "What!"

Steve only continued to chuckle, unable and unwillingly to contain his mirth, "He deserved it. I wished I had seen it."

Bucky's grin quickly returned as he gazed happily at the blonde boy, "Yeah, it was pretty amazing."

"I bet." Steve whispered as he calmed down, though his smile never left his lips. He had the vague feeling that Bucky was the reason he had made it back to his bed from the park. He also had the feeling that he was the reason that Bucky hit Richie in the first place. He couldn't bring himself to ask, but sent the other boy a grateful nod and was relieved when Bucky merely shrugged again.

Silence found the duo once again, but this time it wasn't awkward. What Steve hadn't realized then was that he had just made his first friend. His best friend actually.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Alright, I wanted to continue with the date, but my continuation means a rating change. Hint - Hint. Though honestly it's nothing too graphic in this chapter. I also wanted o have a light chapter, because the next few will be a little dark. Please let me know if you find any of this to be too campy. I don't want his to feel rushed or like someone is about to fall over heels in love. Elena and Bucky like each other and can admit their attraction to one another. I just want them to have fun right now...nothing to heavily serious. **Special Thanks to: TeamBedward, Guest, Markup, Jay, FortuneFollower, and LadyStrider17 for reviewing**. I do appreciate all the feedback - don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I own what is mine

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 **1928 Brooklyn, New York**

"How'd you get up there?"

Bucky tilted his head curiously as he stared up at his friend. Stevie's large blue eyes peered down at him from the oak tree he had managed to climb and while Bucky was curious about how Steve had managed to get up so high, he was beginning to grow more curious about why his friend was in the tree. Secretly, he was a bit impressed that Stevie had managed to get up there at all. The last time the small blonde had been at any particular height he had turned a peculiar shade of white and Bucky had been sure he would be sick….Actually, Stevie was turning that shade now.

Unconsciously, Bucky took a few steps backward as Steve answered dryly, "I climbed up."

"Figured that, ya punk." Bucky responded just as dryly as he circled the tree. There was no low hanging branch to grab onto and he was taller than Stevie. He hummed in discontent as he tried to find whatever box or rock Steve had to have used to get up.

He found none.

Huffing quietly, he frowned in frustration and turned his head up to find Steve watching him in amusement, "What?"

"Nuthin'." Steve chirped as he grinned

Bucky rolled his eyes before deciding to give into the only way of climbing up he could think of – he latched onto the sides of the rough tree trunk and tried to hoist himself up.

Sadly, he didn't make much progress and felt his feet slip the moment he tried to step up. Yet, he wouldn't give up. He tried to push on. He must have looked absolutely ridiculous. His feet moved wildly as he tried to gain leverage, but it just wouldn't happen. Yet, when he finally did manage to get a foot hold…he couldn't get his hands to move up the trunk. With a grunt and a huff he pushed and managed to get maybe a foot off the ground when his foot slipped again and he fell with a resounding thud to the ground.

A quiet snickering drifted down to meet his ears and Bucky fell back to view his friend's sadistic pleasure, "You think this is funny?"

"Only alot." Steve chortled as he watched Bucky rest in the grass in a shambled mess.

Bucky waved a dismissive hand, "Yuck it up. I'm just gonna enjoy the nice solid ground. Don't need to worry about toppling over down here."

He watched through slatted eyes as Stevie turned white again and felt a little vindictive as his friend glared down at him. He regretted his lazy position a moment later as he felt something hard hit his stomach. He groaned low and rolled over to find he had been taken out by a baseball, "Jeeze, you're mean."

"You deserved that and you know it." Steve drawled as he watched Bucky play up the dramatics with his continued whimpering and low cries, "You're worse than a girl."

Bucky abruptly stopped his antics with an aggrieved glare. He slumped back onto the grass with a smirk a second later, "But really…how'd you get up there?"

Steve rolled his eyes and took off his jacket to let it dangle down to the brown-haired boy. Bucky quickly latched on and managed to scamper up the tree without pulling Steve off. Admittedly, he wasn't quite sure how he managed to do that…but well- he did. He grinned obnoxiously at his friend and tried not to snigger as Steve rolled his eyes again even while he returned his smile. Bucky was about to crack a joke when Steve nodded behind him.

The small blonde shifted and pointed out through the branches, "Look."

More than a little bemused, but hopeful that whatever Steve was pointing at would give him insight into his friend's tree climbing adventures Bucky turned. He felt his breath leave him as he caught sight of what held Steve' attention, "Wow…"

The sun was getting low in the sky and sunset wasn't far away, but the light-blue sky in the west was already getting dark with purple hues. The tree they were in had a good view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Bucky had never seen it bathed in such a glowing light. He watched fascinated as the water glittered in the sun's dimming light with wavy shadows dancing on the bridges brownish brick. He and Steve shared another grin as they sat back in the trees branches to watch the sunset. It didn't occur to either one of them that it would be curfew soon and that the sisters at the orphanage would be concerned about their whereabouts. Somehow their future punishment was worth this moment, though Bucky would later realize that Steve never told him how he got up in the tree.

* * *

 **1937 Manhattan, New York**

He had given her much to remember that night.

A wistful smile drew across her lips as James stirred and shifted. The moonlight streaming through her window highlighted the peaceful expression across his face – it only made him look more attractive, she thought ruefully. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so peacefully, at least not without the aid of alcohol. He was beautiful. Handsome would be the more appropriate word, she supposed, but he was beautiful. Much like the art filled station he had shown her earlier. Elena drank in the sight of the naked man in her bed. He was all hard lines and smooth skin and she couldn't help the thrill that twisted beneath her breast as she committed that moment to memory.

Hesitantly, she reached out to gently trace the outline of his chest. Her touch unconsciously searching for his heart, despite the fact that she could feel the steady beat long before her hand finished traveling over his sternum.

"You should be asleep."

His voice was rough and deep with disturbed slumber and Elena's gaze flickered up to meet his instantly. She was suddenly glad for the dark as it hid the flush that rose to her cheeks at having been caught in her momentary molestation. His eyes shined in the dim light with subdued humor and she found herself whispering an apology, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Bucky huffed a small laugh, "Round two would be difficult if I weren't conscious, sweetheart."

"Round two?" Elena questioned in confusion as she wondered if James was indeed awake or if he spoke in his sleep.

Bucky bit back a yawn as he nodded and shifted closer to her. His warm hands dipped beneath the sheet that wrapped around their bodies to skim over her hip, "You're too awake. Haven't done a good enough job if you're not exhausted."

Elena giggled quietly as she surrendered to his groping touch. His fingers skillfully teasing her as he explored, though she did put up a token resistance as she noted the true weariness in his eyes, "I'm awake because there's a boy in my bed."

She didn't expect James to still at her words or for him to lose the last traces of sleep as he suddenly regarded her warily – as if he were treading dangerous ground. Her teasing smile slipped away at that look and before she had the chance to question him, he surprised her by asking quite seriously, "Do you want me to go?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous, where would you go?" Elena rebuffed as she felt confusion descend upon her a second time. She swore that sometimes he spoke a different language.

James raised up on his arm so he could better look at her, "If you're uncomfortable, I don't have to stay, Ellie."

Understanding dawned on Elena and she had to bite back a laugh. Though she did smile brightly at James as she reached out to cup his cheek. She wasn't wrong, the man beside her was beautiful in many ways, "You're very sweet. You being in my bed isn't uncomfortable for me. It's a curiosity... I'm intrigued."

It was Bucky's turn to be confused as he furrowed his brow, "You say that like I'm the first..." He trailed off as he caught the expectant glint in her expression, "I'm not - you've had... this isn't your first..."

"You were very tender." Elena deadpanned as she tried not to grin at his sudden panicked expression. In truth, he hadn't been close to tender... but then neither had she. They had been impatient by the time they had stumbled through the door to her apartment. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so frustrated by a button.

"I uhh.." Bucky managed to stutter out before he caught sight of the amusement that flashed across her face. He nearly collapsed in relief before he glared dimly at her, "You have a twisted sense of humor, you know that?"

"You make it easy." Elena said laughingly, "Yes, I've had sex. You're just the first to...stay."

Bucky's gaze turned incredulous, "Are you telling that wham, bam, thank you ma'am -"

"Usually wham, bam, thank you sir." Elena cut in softly before she felt James shaking. She blinked in surprised when she realized that he was laughing, "What? I like my space."

If anything that made James laugh harder, "Ellie..."

He trailed off shaking his head. Elena couldn't help, but feel a little uncertain at his amusement. She knew that she wasn't like most girls. She hated the pressure society placed on a woman to find to a husband, but even that pressure was dull in comparison to her mother. Vitoria had destroyed any notion that her daughter should marry for love and Elena despised the idea of being anyone's broodmare. So she rebelled in her own way.

As if he sensed her sudden bout of insecurity, James deftly found her hands to press back into the mattress as he moved to hover over her, "Now, what kinda moron lets a dame like you out of his bed?"

"Let me?" Elena challenged with a raised brow, "And I'm not a dame."

James snorted, "Yeah, you are princess."

Elena huffed and tugged experimentally on his grip, unsurprised to find she couldn't break it. Instead she kneed him lightly in the stomach, "Don't call me that."

James grunted in surprised as he chuckled. He didn't shift his grip, "Which? Princess or dame?"

"Both." She quipped before leveraging her weight to roll them. A startled yelp left her lips as she nearly tumbled off the bed, though it turned into laughter as James gripped her hips to keep her from falling too far. She steady herself against his chest as she met his mischievous grin with her own, "I win."

James raised a brow as he purposefully trailed his gaze over her body, lingering for a moment on the thin silver chain that hung from her neck to dangle a small ring between her breasts. The sheet had pooled somewhere at the bottom of the bed, leaving them exposed. Not that he was complaining, "I think I win actually."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Weren't you tired a minute ago?"

"Hardly." James muttered as he shifted so that she slid from his stomach to his lap.

Elena stifled a gasp at the hardness that pressed against her thigh, vaguely wondering how she had missed it earlier. James grinned at her heated look as he whispered, "It's a good thing we're not in my bed."

"Why's that?" Elena asked dryly as she slid her hands from his chest to wrap around his neck.

"Because I bet you'd already be gone. Miss. Wham Bam Thank You Sir." Bucky replied as he nipped at her neck.

Elena ground down on him in retaliation, even as she breathed a laugh. A rush of heat spiraled from her stomach and through her veins as James continued his exploration with his mouth. She sighed softly as his lips found her breast and she couldn't help but mutter, "You'd bet wrong."

She felt more than saw his smile before bit lightly at the soft slope of her chest and leaned back, "You're being contrary again."

"Maybe." Elena murmured amusedly as she slipped hand between them. The strangled groan that she pulled from his lips was more satisfying than any sensual touch, "Or maybe, I just find you intriguing."

James snorted as looked at her through hooded eyes, "You've used that word before."

"Mmhmm." She hummed as she finally leaned forward to kiss him. A soft gasp broke her mouth as he took the moment to enter her. Her fingers clawed into his shoulders at the sudden intrusion, but she couldn't help her moan as she pulled him deeper, "James..."

"You're gonna have to explain this intrigued business to me later." He whispered distractedly as he let her take control of their movements.

She flashed him a bright smile as she laughed, "Much later."

"Much, much later." He agreed as Elena pushed him back.

xXx

Bucky smirked as he took in Elena's prone form. She hogged the covers when she slept and as testament to that fact the sheets from her bed were wrapped almost completely around her. Even still he could make out a few of the love bites he had left on her neck and chest. As he finished buttoning his shirt and stretched the soreness in his shoulders and back attested that Ellie had left her mark as well.

"Ellie..." Bucky called quietly as he slid to sit on the edge of the bed, "Ellie...wake up."

A low muttered obscenity was his only response as Elena tried desperately to burrow into her pillow. He grinned widely, finding her curse far too amusing. Bending down, he found a love bite he had left the night before and began to nip and suck at the tender flesh until she twisted around to look at him through hazy eyes, "Why are you awake?"

"It's almost ten." Bucky commented wryly as he watched her take in his dressed state with a frown.

"We fell asleep at four. You're leaving." Elena stated more than asked as she stayed nestled in the bed.

Bucky would never point it out to her, but she was pouting. He swallowed a smile at the almost childish expression on her face – as if she were losing her favorite toy, "I have to work this afternoon. So I need to get going, sweetheart."

"But it's Saturday." Elena murmured disappointedly and nearly cringed. She had no desire to be that woman who pestered a man to stick around.

"Sorry, princess. I gotta take work wherever I can get it." He replied, absently rubbing her thigh, "I don't work Tuesday; dinner?"

She reached out to lightly pinch his hand as she shook her head, "Don't call me princess. I have class Tuesday. Wednesday?"

"No nagging about sweetheart, but princess gets a problem." Bucky murmured amusedly as he moved his hands out of her reach, "Can't on Wednesday or Thursday. Friday again?"

"Friday." Elena agreed as she shifted to sit up, "I can come to Brooklyn this time."

Bucky's brows raised in surprised. He had a hard time seeing Ellie strolling through his neighborhood, "You don't have to."

"I want to. You said it yourself you know Brooklyn better than Manhattan – So, show this country girl around Brooklyn." Elena stated almost challengingly as if she could sense his hesitance.

She probably did, Bucky thought dryly as he eyed her in amusement. She had a bad case of bedhead and almost no modesty as she let her sheets drop to her waist. Though as he thought about it, he wouldn't be surprised if she was displaying herself on purpose to entice him to stay. He wasn't ashamed to admit it was working too. He sighed lightly as he reached out to snag the ring laying between her breasts to pull her toward him, "Country girl my ass. Brooklyn it is."

He leaned down to steal a kiss, but was rebuffed as Elena turned her head at the last second. He paused as he wondered if this was her way of beginning her 'thank you, sir' routine and felt a sinking in his stomach, "El?"

"I haven't brushed my teeth." Elena murmured in explanation as she detangled his fingers from her ring. She eyed him reproachfully before placing a kiss to his cheek.

The sinking in his stomach turned to bewildered amusement as he cocked a brow at her, "Are you serious? Ellie?"

"No one likes foul breath." She defended lightly as he rolled his eyes. Though he did catch the way she twisted her ring around her fingers. A nervous habit he had noticed. Her fingers would twitch and if she latched onto something it was pulled through her fingers over and over. She did it with the ends of his hair when they kissed, with the napkin at the diner, and now with her ring.

He frowned for a moment as he plucked it from her grasp again to get a better look at the jewelry piece, "What is this anyway? Doesn't look like any purity ring I've ever seen?

It looked old actually, very old. It was a simple little silver ring, set with small sapphire stones. An engraving had been carved on the inner rim, but what it said Bucky could only guess as the language seemed foreign. When he realized that Elena hadn't spoken he flicked his eyes up to hers only to find that she was staring at the ring as well. A sad distant expression clouded her features and reminded Bucky all too much of the haunted gaze he had received when he had asked about Howard's boxing habits, "El?"

She blinked at his prompting and forced a faint smile to her lips. One that he could see was obviously fake, "It's just an old family ring. Papa's side of the family had it for ages. He gave it to me when I was little. Mother had never been happy about that."

Bucky's brow furrowed, "Why would that upset her? It's not like it's left the family."

"It was supposed to be given to my brother, Fergus. It had always been given to the eldest son. Papa broke tradition when he gave it to me and my mother is nothing, if not a stickler for tradition." Elena said sagely and by the bite behind her words Bucky sensed there wasn't much towards that side of the family, "When do you need to go?"

Bucky sighed at the reminder. He had half talked himself into ditching work and spending the day in bed with her, but he and Stevie needed the money. Nothing came cheap these days. He glanced at his watched and swore silently. He really needed to get a move on, "I should leave now."

"You could stay..." Elena sang tantalizingly as she tried to draw him back into bed.

"Don't tempt me." Bucky muttered regretfully as he caught sight of her naked form again. His eyes brightened for a second, "Hey, you never did tell me why I'm intriguing enough to not be kicked out of your bed."

Elena smiled shyly as she retorted, "Well you can either stay and find out or wait until Friday." Her smile turned devious as she caught his exasperated glare, "I think I'm beginning to like this date business."

"Cruel woman." Bucky scowled before he swooped down and stole a kiss from her.

He grinned as she huffed in annoyance, a small rebuke to her tone as she exclaimed, "Jimmy!"

"One for the road, doll." He said as he stood and made for the door, "And I don't know about this Jimmy business, either."

"Would you go already." She murmured in exasperation. Bucky paused at her bedroom door to catch a last glimpse of her and grinned when he saw her shy smile again, "Friday?"

"Friday." He confirmed before slipping out the door.

He found a pad of paper by her door and wrote his address down and a time. Another week to wait.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I know it's been far longer than I intended before I updated. My computer died and it took me some time to get a new one and retrieve all my files and notes, but I'm very pleased to be giving you guys this chapter. I hope you all enjoy. I always appreciate feedback. This chapter I feel gives you some more insight into the characters and their background. Elena shows some of her darker side and the next chapter will show some of Bucky's (in a way). **Special Thanks to: Guest, TeamBedward, Markup and Ohmicrofilm for reviewing. Always love hearing from you.**

 _To Liza - Thank you for reminding of the importance of logging out of my account before letting you read a chapter (did you really have to review under my username? smh, so embarrassing. Thank you for the kind words though)_

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 **1935 Kingston, New York**

Small.

It was never a word that Elena would use to describe Howard Senior. He had never been a small man in her mind. Her uncle had always seemed gigantic. The insurmountable Greek monster that wrought more tragedy than joy. He towered over her and Howard and made her Aunt Annalisa seem like a dwarf in comparison. She couldn't remember ever seeing him smile. He smirked...a cruel twist of the lips that often came across as a sneer.

She hated him.

Elena nearly scowled as she observed his resting form. Her veins burned with a slow broiling rage. He seemed so small. He wasn't...he couldn't be. She refused to believe that the man before her could have been the one to murder her father and Howard's mother. The one who caused more pain and strife in her cousin than any one person should have been capable. No, the Greek monster she had grown up with was not in this room. Just the feeble, weak man she had deteriorated him into becoming...he was a person in this bed and it only made her fury worse, because he couldn't be human. He couldn't have human weaknesses, she shouldn't have been able to defeat him so easily. She shouldn't feel her stomach churn with nauseating anxiety – guilt if she was honest. He was a monster.

And soon so she would be too.

As if he sensed her unbridled despair, Howard Senior stirred and locked eyes with his niece. Black and beady, feverish and exhausted... and resigned. He knew he was going to die, Elena could read it so easily in his eyes and was bewildered by the weary acceptance she found. It wasn't supposed to be this easy.

"Elena..." Howard Senior croaked almost fondly, "Finally come to say your goodbyes."

A bitter smirk twisted across Elena's lips as she responded softly, "Something like that Uncle."

She was the last to see Howard Senior, the last to say goodbye. It should have been her Howard in this room. It was his right as son and heir to the Stark Estate to have the final goodbye with his father. He had only managed to stay in the room for ten minutes before he had squeezed Elena's hand and had sauntered back into his father's office for another tumbler of whiskey. He had said his goodbyes long ago.

"I think I just wanted to see the dragon take its last breath." She murmured quietly, minutely surprised when Howard Senior's brow crinkled in confusion. She hadn't expected him to hear her.

"Dragon?" Senior wheezed before his strained breath was claimed in a coughing fit.

She watched wearily as he gained control again and eyed her darkly. She pursed her lips as she spoke in a harsh whisper, "What else would you be, Uncle, but a dragon? The greedy hoarding creature, who bruised my cousin and destroyed his family... my family."

Howard Senior grunted in amused disgust, but it was enough for Elena to see the monster again. To know he still lingered, "You're just like your father. So presumptuous and almighty."

Elena choked on fire as she contained her rage at the mention of her father and kept her indifferent expression plastered on her face, "I don't know about almighty... after all he wasn't the one to put you here."

She waited for her words to process before she let a cold smile grace her lips, "It's amazing, Uncle what a little arsenic can do to someone with pneumonia. You really should have stayed away from that scotch of yours."

Pure fury poured from Howard Senior as he stared at his niece, "You? You wouldn't have the nerve."

"The nerve?" Elena questioned in disbelief as if having the will to slay the monster had anything to do with strength, "It's not nerve that forced my hand, Uncle. It was fear."

Howard senior sneered though it came out as more of a cough. His eyes growing hooded as he fought to remain awake, "Fear...perhaps you are part Stark after all."

His last words slurred as he fell into an uneasy slumber, one that he wouldn't wake up from again. Elena cringed as she murmured to herself, "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

A slight shuffle behind her let Elena know that she was no longer alone. She tensed as she wondered vaguely how much of her conversation had been overheard as she turned to meet Howard's soulful gaze. Her tension didn't disappear at his presence, but only increased as she noted the glazed look in his eyes, "Howard..."

He lazily met her stare, a numb smile pulled across his mouth. For once in her life, Elena could not tell what Howard was thinking. He was a blank slate and she had to wonder if the implications of what they had down were finally hitting him, "He may be the dragon, but you're the knight Birdie."

Elena held in a sigh at his slurred words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him. She felt old. Far older than she should have at almost eighteen. It made her want to run, "That's debatable."

Howard shook his head as he swayed towards her. She could see the words that were fighting to fall from his tongue, but something held him back. Instead he slumped to sit on the floor and lean against her leg. Unconsciously she ran a soothing hand through his hair as he whispered, "Birdie, show me a magic trick please."

Elena found herself observing the prone form of Howard Senior as she dourly pondered his request. The dragon's breathing was becoming more shallow and it wouldn't be long before it stilled all together. She still wasn't sure that this was all real. She was halfway sure that tomorrow she would wake to find that Howard Senior was still alive, still manipulating and abusing anyone who crossed his path. She sighed quietly as she murmured, "I think I already have."

She had vanquished the dragon and that was a hell of a trick... She just prayed he wouldn't come back.

* * *

 **1937 Brooklyn, New York**

Steve frowned as he stared outside the window to see the burgeoning storm clouds on the horizon. It had been a hot summer so far, but with the impending storm moving in, the air had only become muggier. He felt sticky even as he tossed his shirt over the back of the kitchen chair and he sat in front of the open window. Silently, he prayed for a strong breeze – anything to relieve the suffocating atmosphere. He nearly moaned in delight as he pressed his face to the glass and found it to be cold.

Sometimes he didn't know which was worse: the overly humid summers or the arctic winters that seemed to visit Brooklyn. Lazily, he turned his head to stare at his bookbag. He had class work that needed to be done. Two papers that were due in the morning and he had no motivation to write either. Vaguely, Steve wondered if it was possible to be too hot to think.

Jesus, he didn't want to move.

The sound of heavy steps caught his attention as he stared almost dazedly at his brown leather bag. He had to be melting. Blurrily, he blinked at the door of the apartment as he watched the handle jiggle for a moment and finally registered the steps he heard were Bucky's. A wave of relief mixed with dread swam through him at his friend's presence. He really didn't need the distraction of Bucky when he knew he should be doing work, but... he really just wanted the distraction. Anything would be better than writing a paper on materials of structural integrity. He should have stayed with the history major.

"You alive, Stevie?"

Steve fluttered his blue eyes open, unaware that he had let them drift shut, "Barely...it's too hot."

"You can say that again." Bucky muttered as he slump into the seat across from his best friend.

Steve raised a concerned brow when he took in the flush that stained his friend's cheeks, "Jesus, Buck. You look like a lobster."

Bucky sent him a dry stare, "It's hot." He sighed miserably as he unbuttoned his sweat stained shirt to toss next to Steve's. His undershirt not too far behind, "I managed to get an extra shift at the docks. Should get us enough money for a few extras this month."

"We still have money leftover from my scholarship and my job at the drugstore. Things aren't so bad that we need to take extra work on, Buck." Steve chided softly. He hated it when Bucky killed himself trying to get them more money. Both of them were perfectly cable of scraping by on what they had. They weren't quite to starving yet.

"It's not a big deal. I'm not going to say no to some extra dough." Bucky returned as he eyed the distance from the open window to the cabinet they kept the glasses. He could do with a bit of water.

Steve only frowned deeper, biting his tongue against what he really wanted to say. He wasn't stupid. He knew about the fund that Bucky had started – the extra savings that went toward the winter, toward his medicines, toward new clothes, towards extra food. The past winter had been too close for both boys. Steve had become seriously ill – feverish. It was so bad he hadn't noticed that Bucky had stopped eating and buying as much food to keep the heat and medicine. Not until he noticed that Bucky was showing more rib and less muscle. He had worried Bucky almost as much as Bucky had scared him. He would let it go for now. It was pointless to fight over something that Bucky would do anyway.

He watched quietly as Bucky eased up from his chair to the sink and nearly did a double take. There were scratches crossing his friend's shoulders and a small mass of bruising closer to his hips and lower back. Steve's brows shot up as he tried to remember if Bucky had been planning to go to Mac's recently. Though he couldn't decide what would give his friend the scratches, "What? Did you get mauled?"

Bucky glanced back at him confused as he filled a glass with water, "Hmm?"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Buck, have you seen your back? It looks like you got into it with a cat and a sledge hammer." Comprehension dawned in Bucky's grey-blue eyes before a sly smirk crossed his lips. Steve nearly groaned he knew that smile, "Don't tell me, I don't want to know anymore."

Bucky chuckled and shrugged, "Ah, come on Stevie, you know you're curious."

"I can already guess." Steve stated drolly as he eyed his surrogate brother with muted amusement, "Though your bruises are little harder to figure out."

Steve was surprised when a faint blush stole across his friend's cheeks before he sheepishly admitted, "Fell off the bed and landed on Ellie's heels. I'm lucky I wasn't stabbed by those damn things. I don't know how girls can wear 'em."

"Practice would be my guess." Steve muttered as he choked back a laugh and grinned unabashedly. Sometimes his friend's antics were simply ridiculous, "And here I thought I should worry about the abuse you get at Mac's. Your so called angel doesn't seem too angelic, Buck."

"She'd agree with you." Bucky murmured with a small smile, "Besides it's not Ellie, you need to worry about...it's her shoes. I think you'd like her actually."

Steve titled his head with mild interest as he rested against the window again. It wasn't nearly as cold as it was earlier, but it was something, "Why's that?"

"She's not like the other dames we know. I don't know – I could see you two getting' along is all." Bucky tried to explain. He wasn't sure that there was a way to explain Elena. She was a force to be reckon with, that was for sure. He had a feeling that Steve could appreciate her determination if nothing else.

"Not like the dames we know? You mean not like the dames you know. Girls hardly give me the time of day, let alone..." Steve trailed off with a nod towards Bucky's back Sometimes he swore his friend was a magician when it came to women.

Bucky for his part rolled his eyes as he bit back a smirk, "That'd be different if you'd actually tried, you know? When was the last time you even tried to talk to a girl? Every time I try to drag you out, you have some kind of _school work_ to do."

Only Bucky could make a phrase like school work sound like the most petty excuse to not go dancing or drinking, Steve thought dourly, "Bucky..."

"I'm serious, Stevie." Bucky continued as he felt his temper flare a little. He blamed the heat, "I haven't seen you have fun in a long time. It's school, work and home for you. You're gonna become one of those people who never leaves the house and has a thousand cats, if you keep it up."

"I'm not gonna become one of those people, not when I have you around to lock me out of the apartment." Steve threw back with a pointed look. Bucky merely grinned as he remembered doing just that over a year ago to get his brother to a jazz club. Unfortunately, Steve had started keeping a spare key with the neighbors after that little incident.

"You should come out with us this weekend." Bucky announced suddenly and by the keen spark in his eyes, Steve knew this was a subject that would be debated and hashed out until he finally gave in.

"Us?" Steve queried

"El is coming out Friday. You should join us." Steve's exasperation must have shown on his face, though he wasn't really trying to hide it, because Bucky suddenly had a stubborn set to his jaw, "No, you are joining us. You'll get to meet Ellie. No excuses, it'll be fun."

"Yeah, because being the third wheel is always fun." Steve drawled as he snatched up his bookbag.

"Then find yourself a date. There's got to be some dame at that school of yours, you could ask." Bucky placed his glass in the sink and started for the bathroom. He called over his shoulder, "There's got to be someone you like there."

"Someone." Steve muttered under his breath as he pulled out his notes. He frowned suddenly at the sound of running water and wrinkled his nose in distaste, "How are you taking a bath now? It's like a hundred outside."

There was a brief shuffling sound before Bucky popped his head out the bathroom door, "Are you kidding? I just did two shifts at the dock, I smell like the inside of a dirty sock. 'Sides cold water, Steve. Cold."

The obviousness and brilliance of that tactic startled Steve as he stared towards the bathroom. He called out, "Don't use all the cold water up!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

Steve snorted and turned his attention towards his notes. Details on strengths and materials stared up at him and he groaned... he really should have stuck with the history major.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Okay I know it's been awhile and I'm so sorry. I just have been ridiculously busy with unpacking from a move and starting a new job. Free time the past few months has not been a thing, let me tell you. However, I haven't abandoned this story or my others. Progress is just slow... Also I decided to veer away from anything too dark in this chapter. I wanted to do a little more build of Bucky. But please enjoy the story. I hope you all read and review. I always appreciate the feedback.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **1926 Brooklyn, New York**

Bucky rubbed fiercely at the back of his hands. The wool of his mittens had worn thin, making it easy for the bitter cold to reach his fingers. He tried to ignore the cold, tried to ignore the way his arms trembled and jaw threatened to chatter. It was like Brooklyn had lost all warmth the moment the sun had set. The rise of night had plunged the temperatures and brought a crying breeze that made his stomach churn. None of this would have mattered if he had stayed in his bed. The orphanage was warm enough, and the threadbare quilt on his cot would have provided more insulation to keep him comfortable. He couldn't sit still though... not while his stomach clenched and swirled with a worry he was quickly becoming familiar with, he was afraid.

The sensation of impending doom Father Bennet had called it when Bucky had sullenly sat in the confession box. Sister Agnes had sent him to reflect and confess on his recent querulous and embittered temperament. Father Bennet had snorted in amusement when Bucky had repeated that statement in a bored tone that bespoke of many hours of past lecturing from the Sisters.

 _Bucky crinkled his nose as he glanced uncertainly at the veiled window. Quietly mumbling, "I don't even know what querulous and embittered means."_

 _It was true, he had stared blank faced at Sister Agnes's glowering scowl before_ _deciding it was better not to ask. He knew what temperament meant...it meant he was angry. His dad used to say he could have quite a temper. A pang shook his small body as the familiar clenching sensation settled in his belly again. He nearly chocked on a sudden sob at the thought of his father._

 _He could hear the smile in Father Bennet's voice as he explained to Bucky, "She's just saying you're being a bit of a sourpuss_ _is all."_

 _"Oh..."_ _Bucky murmured, wondering why Sister Agnes couldn't have just said that. Sighing, he picked at the edges of his shirt sleeve as he waited for Father Bennet to either send him away or lecture him. He couldn't see the concern glint to the Father's eyes as he sat quietly._

 _The priest knew that Bucky, and he had no doubt that it was_ _Bucky on the other side of that window, while a rather spirited child who got himself in to trouble more often than not, was never one to be angry or 'embittered' as the Sister had put it, "What's wrong, son?"_

 _If_ _anything, the loose term of endearment made Bucky scowl. He wasn't Father Bennet's son._

Bucky winced as he remembered the sharp retort he had given Father Bennet. Trying to explain to the old priest what was wrong had been hard. Mostly because Bucky didn't have the words. He just knew something was wrong. Something with his dad was wrong.

Robert Barnes made it a point to visit his son every week. Every Thursday without pause right at lunch. Bucky would find his dad at the base of the boy's home steps, a sad smile playing on his face. Bucky would pretend not to see the circles rimming his dad's blue eyes, the growth of scruff on his cheeks, he wouldn't even mention how much skinnier his dad seemed to be every week. He couldn't... not when his dad's eyes seemed to blaze to life when he finally caught sight of him. Bucky had the sad feeling that his dad lived for their lunches that went by too quick. Try as he might, Bucky couldn't really remember his dad looking any other way.

But he hadn't come.

He had missed their Thursday lunch and it was now Tuesday. Robert never missed a lunch. Bucky hugged himself as he hurried down the street. The park wasn't too far. He had made that trip with the other boys a thousand times. It felt so far away now. Still, he kept on.

It was known to everyone in the neighborhood that once the sun set, the hobos and vagrants would make camp in the park. It became another world from what Bucky understood. A world he wasn't supposed to know bout, but adults tended not to notice what little ears were listening when they passed on the daily gossip. Bucky paid attention. He listened to everything and everyone even when it looked like he couldn't care less – it was the only way he knew to get any answers. More often than not the nuns wouldn't tell him anything important, only a placating verse here or there. Father Bennet was a bit more direct with a small smile and a murmured "You don't need to worry about it, Buck."

So, he learned to stop asking and start listening. He wished he had listened a little better to his dad. Robert was just as good at not saying much as Bucky was at listening. It didn't take a genius to figure out that his dad was living on the street. His dad had stopped changing his clothes a few months ago and Bucky suspected that he had sold off whatever he had left. What Bucky wasn't sure of was whether his dad would be camping in the park or seeking out one of the nearby shelters. His stomach dropped as he considered the possibility that his father may not be anywhere near Brooklyn. He was merely a few feet away from the park when he realized that he hadn't thought much of anything through...that maybe he had made a mistake.

The park was dark and the trees inside loomed tall and loud in the wind. Bucky gulped lowly as he forced himself to cross onto the dewy grass. He tried not to shiver as the wind cut through his coat again and rustled the loose leaves on the ground. It was like hearing a million different whispers at once and Bucky wasn't fully sure that it was completely the wind he was hearing. As he moved further vague humanoid shapes in the dark recesses of trees and bushes began to show to him. People curled up tight in blankets and coats. He couldn't see faces and as he opened his mouth to call out for his dad, his throat suddenly constricted too tight to make any sound. He wasn't shivering all that much from the cold anymore, but from the sudden unmistakable panic that curled in his chest like a clamp.

Be brave.

Be brave.

Be brave.

He tried hard to hold onto that thought, tried hard to think of Johnny Parker's voice as he read Captain Blood to all the boys in the dorm. Captain Blood had been brave...so could he. Still shaking like the leaves above him, Bucky moved deeper into the park. Closer to the center, he could see a few trashcans that had been lit with fire. A larger group of men congregated around the steel barrels, huddling together for warmth. Bucky stayed with the shadows, peering hopelessly into the few faces he could see. He wanted his dad...

A small commotion broke out further away, but it may as well have been right next to him with how hard Bucky jumped. It was a short tussle, a disagreement over some sort of bottle from what he could tell, but it was enough to make Bucky push behind a tree as he continued to watch. It smelled wrong around here, he realized. Despite being out in the open, there was a staleness that made Bucky crinkle his nose. Like sickness and the boy's bathroom at school and something bitter that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He pressed his face into the cool bark of the tree he was hiding behind to ward off the heady aroma.

Another fight broke out much like the first and Bucky sighed as he waited for it to end. His dad wasn't here. A wave of defeat swept through his small form and Bucky found himself biting back tears. He wanted his dad.

Suddenly, sharp knobby fingers pressed into his shoulder and Bucky cried out in surprised as she spun around. A man with a bleary red gaze and gnarled beard leered at him as Bucky quickly backed away, "What ya doinn 'ere, boy?"

The man's voice was rough and slurred, and much like earlier, Bucky found that he couldn't make a sound. A faint distressed whine escaped his lips and Bucky turned to run only to find himself face to face with another person. This was a mistake. He barely managed to muffle another cry as he searched for an escape. There were too many people and they all seemed so close.

"Bucky?"

Bucky nearly flinched at the sound of his name, but hoped flared brightly as he recognized that voice. It was faint and weaker than he had ever heard it, but Bucky knew his father's voice. He found himself whipping around again as he sought out that voice. HIs greyish blue gaze was drawn to a ragged form leaning against a bench nearby. It wasn't until he met a familiar pair of blue eyes that Bucky knew he was looking at his dad.

"Dad!" Bucky whispered relieved as he scampered away from the men in front of him and over the trial to Robert. He nearly didn't recognize the older man. Robert looked far too gaunt to be the same man that Bucky had seen almost two weeks ago, "Dad?"

Robert eased himself from the bench and met Bucky halfway, concern glinting in his expression, "Bucky, what're you doing here?"

"Dad!" Bucky could only say as he hurled himself into his father's arms. The smell that swam in the air seemed to cling to his father, but Bucky couldn't care less. He missed the pained grunt as his small hands gripped tightly at the older Barnes, but a small tendril of fear spiraled through him as he felt how thin his dad had become beneath his clothes. It wasn't right...

Gently, Robert pried his son far back enough to look at his face as he asked again wearily, "Buck, you shouldn't be here. Why aren't you back at Saint Catherine's?"

"You didn't come. You didn't come to... to lunch and I didn't know where you were and Sister Agnes wouldn't let me go looking for you, so I waited." Bucky rambled quickly as he kept a strong grip on his father's coat. He didn't notice the tears that were spilling down his cheeks until his father reached up to brush away the wetness. He just wanted to hold onto his old man and never let go, "I waited and you still didn't come and...and where were you?"

Bucky was lost as he felt his eyes bubble over with tears again. He tried to bite back at his sobs, he tried to be strong and brave, but he was just couldn't. Now that he had found Robert, his dad would make everything better.

"Oh Bucky." Robert murmured quietly as he let his son lean against him. As discreetly as he could, he pulled Bucky away from the main camp and towards the edge of the park. His body protested the movement, but the park was no place for his son to be – not at that time of night anyway.

"Where were you?" Bucky whispered, still leaning into his father. His face half hidden by the old ragged coat.

Robert bit back a sigh as he gently guided Bucky back to the street and towards Saint Catherine's, "I wasn't feelin' too good, Buck. A nice doctor had me rest at the office. Didn't want you to get sick, either...and I thought I would just do a double visit this week."

Involuntarily, Bucky's hand gripped tighter at his dad's coat as he felt the familiar fist of anxiety curl in his chest again, "You're sick?"

Images of his mother lying in bed flash by his eyes, she had been so pale... Bucky's eyes darted up to his father's face searching for that same paleness, the same signs of sickness his mother had before... before she. He swallowed tightly and glanced away as quickly as he had looked up.

Robert swallowed tightly as he tried to figure out an explanation that would pacify his son. He wasn't sick in the way Bucky was thinking, but he wasn't well either. The odd jobs he was able to pick up were becoming scarce and it made it that much harder to find a decent meal. It had been over a week since he had managed to buy more than an apple. The last job at the docks had only made things worse. Two cracked ribs and a nice goose egg from having a stack of crates tip onto him and his partner that day. He could work thru the pain for the most part, but it meant not working any heavy jobs for a while and it meant not seeing Bucky until he managed the spare change to have a proper lunch with his boy. His stubborn, beautiful boy.

"I'll be fine, Buck." Robert murmured with a gentle squeeze to his son's shoulder, "I'll be even better to know you won't sneak out like this again. You have no business leaving Saint Cat's like that and even less going to the park. It's too dangerous for you to be doing things like that, you nearly made my heart stop when I saw you by Ol' Joe."

Bucky frowned churlishly, not wanting to admit that the idea of going back to the park now filled him with dread – but if it meant knowing whether or not his dad was okay, well he'd do it again, "But, Dad..."

"No buts." Robert stopped and knelt before Bucky, making sure that the eight-year-old – no, he was almost nine now - was meeting his gaze, "You don't do this again. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Bucky mumbled, already knowing that he would be disobeying that order.

Robert seemed to know it too as he stared into his son's sullen face. A broken smile flitted across his lips as he pressed a kiss to Bucky's head, "I love you, kiddo. Couldn't bear it if something ever happened to you."

Guilt tinged Bucky's gut, but he wondered if his dad knew he felt the same way and that was why he had trudged into the park, "I love you too, Dad."

* * *

 **1937 Manhattan, New York**

Elena stifled a yawn as she flipped through the pages of her anatomy textbook. She had a six-thousand-word essay to write on the impact of bacteria on human tissue. The essay was due in two days and she had not started, mostly due to the fact the she couldn't get a certain blue-eyed gentleman out of her head. She found that she was becoming increasingly impatient for Friday to arrive and it worried her... she honestly couldn't remember looking forward to seeing anyone this way. It was...strange.

She bit her lip as she forced away thoughts of James. Elena had no desire to analyze her feelings too closely when it came to the Brooklyn fighter. With more force than usual she turned her attention back to her notes and sighed. She usually would have had the paper finished the day it was assigned, but her professor was such a …a royal ass that any assignment from him made her want grumbled in annoyance and she often found herself procrastinating until the last minute. Rather lazily, she pulled a piece of paper from the wooden desk she was sitting at and began to make notations on which areas in the book to focus on. She no sooner had three words written when the unmistakable sound of metal clanging to the floor met her ears. She closed her eyes and tried to block the horrendous noise out, but did not turn to look. She waited and was rewarded a second later with muffled cursing.

A faint thrill of gratitude pulled in her stomach as she listened. Howard had been sulking since she had arrived and she wasn't sure if he was mad at her or at something else... A stilted silence followed the blue air her cousin had caused, before a second crash emanated through the lab. Elena rolled her eyes as she finally turned around.

Apparently, she was not going to start her paper today, she thought sagely as she caught sight of her cousin's fuming figure. At least she didn't need the fire extinguisher this time. Carefully, she surveyed the mess scattered on the floor. There was a giant whole in the middle of a large iron sheet. The edges warped and curled back like a melted candle wax. Elena opened her mouth before slowly closing it. Did she really want to know?

Howard must have seen her speculative look because in the next instant his voice reverberated across the lab, "Not a word, Birdie."

Elena raised her hands in surrender, "I didn't say anything…. Glad you're not on fire – this time."

Howard scowled ineffectually at her. He knew that she was used to him and his…little blunders. He had always been curious. In some ways it had been worse when he and Birdie were kids. He would take anything apart and try to reassemble it. He only got into trouble if and when he ever got a hold of the things that his father brought home from work. He had once set off a machine gun prototype that his father's engineers had put together when he was eleven. He still maintained that no one would have found out about that little incident, if the damn thing hadn't rotated while it shot and inexplicably ended up shooting his father's car to pieces. The explosion had been pretty spectacular, he remembered with a grin. The beating he received for that particular episode had almost been worth it.

"I thought you were supposed to be building some sort of machine. Not destroying one." Elena murmured as came closer to his work station for a better look at the damage.

"I am." Howard said through gritted teeth, "I was given a list of possible chemicals that would be run through it and what kind of conditions that it has to hold up against, but the damn thing always falls apart."

"What's it supposed to do? It looks like your building some sort of compression chamber." She lifted herself onto her toes and peered over the tin box or what was left of it.

"I would love to know-" He began to pick up the pieces of iron, examining the scarred material as he moved around the lab, "But I'm only given bits and pieces to work with. I know it has something to do with the government contract my father set up, but beyond that…. Not a clue."

"Government?" She muttered under her breath as she reached up to touch a gravelly looking surface of the box, "The plot thickens."

Howard sighed and tossed the pieces he had gathered on to his work table, "Its _Top Secret_. And they're worried about details getting out."

Elena smirked as she turned and cocked a brow at him, "You mean our government doesn't trust an eighteen-year-old with its secrets? How shocking."

"It's my company that's doing the work. I should know what it's about." Howard exclaimed with a glare.

Elena swallowed a laugh at her cousin's irate expression. Eighteen-years old and ready to take on the world. She shook her head, "Your company is being overseen by Uncle Leo until you finish school. Get your degree and then you can play with the big boys…. You have been going to class, haven't you?" She waved her hand with suspicion, "Not out partying and brawling too much or slaving away here all the time, right?"

"My grades are impeccable, thank you." He mockingly scowled at her. He had slowly been immersing himself into Stark Industries since his father's death. He wanted to understand every facet of his family's company. As it was, he was more often than not drawn into the research and development department and had become an ipso facto intern. He turned his gaze towards the office desk, "And what about you? Paper done yet? It won't write itself you know?"

"I'll get it done…I always do." She waved off his pointed remarks and scanned the tools at the edge of the table. She really was procrastinating.

"And you're here pestering me and not working from the library because?"

Elena grimace and fiddled around with a pair of his pliers, "Betsy's engaged. Every discussion is over wedding plans now and I wanted to hide where she couldn't find me…. Gag me."

"Betsy? Your old roommate?" Howard asked a lecherous grin coating his face as he remembered the leggy brunette. She was off the market now…that was depressing.

"You're a pig." His cousin rolled her eyes, already knowing what he was thinking, "Between Lucille and Betsy it seems like every other girl I know is getting married."

Howard shrugged and smirked, "You know that avoiding her makes you look like a bitter old maid. Jealous you don't have a fiancé, Birdie? You know Ted Hannity is still interested in you."

"Ughh. Howard, never play matchmaker." Elena shivered in disgust as she thought of Hannity. He was almost worse than Brennan. Her mother had been trying to push the New York socialite onto her since she was sixteen. The man had been a jerk then and was just an arrogant ass now. It was safe to say she couldn't stand him, "And I'm not jealous, just disturbed. Why is it that there seems to be some kind of…of social _law_ that states that a girl needs to be married to someone by the time she's twenty. God, I would shoot myself if I tied myself to someone now."

"You're not in love. These girls are." Howard said, as if it was just that easy.

Elena snorted, "Please tell me that did not just come out of your mouth? Howard, please."

"You know some girls - normal girls - actually want to get married and even love their intended. Odd concept I know." He smirked, "And then the other half are gold diggers…well the vast majority are gold diggers."

"And there's the cousin I know and love." Elena commented dryly, "You were beginning to worry me."

Howard looked at her curiously, now procrastinating himself as he ignored the scrap pieces he gathered, "Besides you are seeing someone. Who knows, you may be next."

Elena blinked in surprised as she stared at Howard's smirking form. Lifting an innocuous brow, she queried lightly, "What are you talking about?"

The twinkle in her cousin's eyes could not be described as anything other than devious. He was enjoying the fact that for once he was the one holding all the cards between them, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

This was a game that Elena knew well. Either her cousin did know that she had started to see James or he suspected someone was in the picture and he was snooping for information. Elena pursed her lips and shrugged casually, "Really wish I did, actually."

Howard rolled his eyes, he didn't have the patience that Birdie did, "Let's see about six-foot, dark hair, blue eyes likes to get punch drunk at Mac's. He was at your place last week... Buddy something?"

"Bucky." Elena corrected absently.

Howard grimaced, "You don't actually call him that, do you?

"No. His name's James." Elena crossed her arms as she scowled at her cousin, "How did you know he was at my place?"

Howard grinned impishly, "Saw him leaving your building when I swung by for brunch." He shrugged, "Wasn't hard to figure out that he had been there to see you, what with the puppy dog eyes you were giving each other at Mac's."

"We didn't give each other puppy dog eyes." Elena grumbled under her breath.

"Uh huh." Howard replied sagely, "You gonna see him again?"

She bit her lip and shrugged, "Friday."

Her cousin blinked in surprise, "Interesting. How much more do you have to do till you get your nursing certification?"

She tilted her head in thought, a little put off by the segue, "Once I get my bachelors at Columbia, I can apply for Yale's nursing program. If everything continues to work out…another year, maybe two. Why?"

He smiled, "I was wondering if you'd be married by then."

Elena was tempted to throw the pliers at him. The day she married was the day she would willing wear red. Sighing in boredom, she turned and decided to give one last try at writing her paper.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I'm happy to see this story garner a few more readers. I'll try and keep the updates coming as I've found some more time to write. Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **1937 Brooklyn, New York**

Brooklyn was loud, Elena decided as she finished her cup of tea. Boisterous would be a better word, she could almost hear Howard argue. It was and in a much different way than Manhattan. Yet as the brief clinking of dishes reached her ears, she was sure she liked it much better in this borough than she ever had in Manhattan.

A small smile pulled at her lips as she watched Mrs. Alvarez an older woman of Puerto Rican descent putter about her kitchen. Elena had taken an earlier train to Brooklyn to do some exploring on her own. She had found beautiful parks that held few people due to the high heat currently scorching the city and nifty little shops to escape to when she felt her skin begin to burn. She had been severely tempted to buy a hand fan. Yet, as the day grew later and dark clouds slowly pulled over the sky, she worried more about not having a jacket or an umbrella for any heavy rain. It was then that she decided it was time to head to the address James had left her. She took her time learning the roads and listening to the clash of people on the streets and in their homes. It was how she had come upon Mrs. Alvarez, the kindly old woman she had stopped on the sidewalk to check her directions. She would never admit it, but she had become lost enough in her thoughts to almost become lost in the streets.

The older woman had responded to her questions in rapid Spanish with an odd word of English thrown in here or there. It had thrown Elena off enough that as she tried to recall her childhood lessons in the Latin languages, her response in butchered Spanish back had made the old woman laugh with the amusement one could only receive from the young or inept. Elena had flushed with embarrassment as she asked curiously if Mrs. Alvarez understood French or Italian any better, as she was bit more fluent in those languages than the older woman's native Spanish.

Mrs. Alvarez had shaken her head and gestured for the slip of paper James's address was on, Elena handed it over without hesitation. To her relief Mrs. Alvarez's eyes lit up in recognition before she babbled off again in Spanish while gesturing for Elena to follow her. With little else to do and the fact the older woman was holding her paper hostage, Elena followed after and listened as intently as she could to decipher what was being said. She gathered that Mrs. Alvarez was talking about the neighborhood...and something about tenants or...men? A wave of uncertainty wound through her as she simply continued to nod her head to whatever was being said – taking her cousins favorite advice when it came to getting through awkward situations " _just smile and nod, Birdie_." Before she knew it, she had been brought before James's apartment building and Mrs. Alvarez was escorting her inside to _her_ apartment for a cup of tea. A quick glance at her wristwatch let Elena know that she still had time before meeting up with James.

"Gracias, Señora." Elena said politely as she lifted her cup, "Es muy deliciosa."

Mrs. Alvarez grinned and spewed off into another series of rambles that Elena had no hope to understand. The older woman simply spoke too quickly for her to catch it all. Elena huffed a small laugh and gave up as she continued to watch Mrs. Alvarez prep her dinner. The old woman must have the hearing of a bat as she went from nattering away to rushing to the door of her apartment looking out to the stairwell as if she had heard someone was approaching. Elena followed her movements intrigued and then realized she too could hear steps coming up the stairs.

Whoever it was must have stepped onto the landing as Mrs. Alvarez called out cheerily, "Steben! Steben! Come, Come."

Even with hand gestures and all, Elena was barely able to make out the quite reply her guide received as the footsteps came closer. Amusement bubble up in Elena's throat as Mrs. Alvarez's hands reached out to the Steben that just stood out of view and pulled him in for a rather motherly inspection. She patted his face and made exclamations that Elena could guess were about the man's slight form. She studied him curiously for a moment, noting that he wasn't much taller than herself, but had the poutiest mouth she had ever seen on a man. Unbidden came the thought that he was probably a good kisser as he smiled exasperatedly at Mrs. Alvarez's attentions.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Alvarez." His surprisingly smooth voice tickled Elena's ear as he let himself be ushered inside by the motherly woman. When he finally saw Elena, he smiled politely and offered a quiet, "Hello."

"Hello, I see you've become another one of her hostages." Elena respond dryly as Mrs. Alvarez clucked over both of them, "Tea's good though."

He looked admittedly relieved that she spoke English as he quirked a smile, "Usually is. I'm Steve Rogers, her upstairs neighbor."

Elena's eyes lit up in recognition, "So you're the infamous Steve."

Baffled and more than a little disconcerted by the knowing smile he was receiving from the woman before him, Steve hesitantly asked, "That sounds concerning... Have we met?"

"Nope." Elena smiled mischievously, "But I have heard a good deal about the Adventures of Captain Steve the Bloody and Brigand Bucky of the Brooklyn Isles."

Steve closed his eyes, feeling what could only be described as mortification as Elena laughed quietly. He had no doubt in his mind of who had told her those particular stories as he silently promised his best friend a swift death, "I'm gonna kill him."

"Oh no, those stories are so cute. Besides it was a tit for tat kind of conversation, I told him of the many embarrassing antics my cousin and I got up to." Elena assured as he smiled faintly at her.

There was a brief silence as Steve took a moment to compose himself, "You must be Elena. Buck said you were coming over tonight."

"Well, I don't know if I must be, but I am." Elena said cheerily as she fought the urge to play her empty tea cup, "James tells me that you're studying at Columbia, though he couldn't exactly recall what your major is?"

Steve snorted amused at hearing Bucky's given name. He didn't know anyone besides a few nuns that actually called his friend anything other than Bucky, "I think he gave up trying to figure it out after the third time I changed it. But yeah, I'm studying architecture there currently."

"Oh? You plan on being the next William van Alan?" Elena asked curiously, hoping the question was enough to get a conversation going. Her knowledge on architecture was limited by what she read in the news and whatever sparse trivia that Howard happened to impart. In truth, she had expected to meet the man before her with James in tow to keep any awkwardness at bay.

Steve smiled almost shyly, "While that would be amazing, I would settle for simply working at a decent architectural firm. One that hopefully could afford to do pro-bono work on the side."

"Why's that?"

The question took a minute for Steve to answer. He knew why, but he wasn't sure he could articulate his reasons without sounding pathetic. He shrugged lightly, "There're a lot of great buildings that are already built, but their age and lack of consistent maintenance have made them...less. I wouldn't mind being on a project that restores those buildings to their glory – especially if it's a building that people can really benefit from."

Elena's brow furrowed thoughtfully, "Like a school?"

"Or an orphanage." Steve murmured lowly as he thought of the drafty dormitory of Saint Cat's.

If Elena noticed his sudden sad wistfulness then she didn't comment, "That's an admirable goal to have...though I hate to say it, but maybe a tad unrealistic. Unless it's a charitable organization, most businesses aren't going to do something for nothing. Defeats the point of a business – but if you built your own architectural firm with those goals in mind...Perhaps you should add on a business minor to your degree."

Steve blinked as he discerned that Elena wasn't trying to be condescending, but was merely puzzling through his concept. He quirked a brow, "Is that what you're getting a degree in?"

"Business?" Elena queried lightly with a rueful grin, "Oh no, I'd be bored to tears with all those numbers. I'm studying to be a nurse."

She wasn't actually, she had plans to get her doctorate in medicine, but every time she mentioned that particular goal the sheer amount of disbelief she received was unconscionable. It was easier to tell others, her cousin included that she was getting a degree in nursing.

Either way it wasn't really a topic she wanted to explore further. So, she nodded to the door and murmured before Steve had a chance to question her further, "I have to ask... James mentioned wanting to marry a Katie Casey kind of girl when he was younger, before realizing that may not actually be a thing. Who or what in the world is a Katie Casey?"

Steve chuckled quietly, not sure if Elena was serious or not. Yet, her entertained smile didn't detract from her waiting stare as he gasped, "You should ask him."

"I did!" She huffed slight, "But he did what you just did and said I was only proving his point."

Steve managed to quell his amusement enough to respond, "You ever hear the "Take Me Out to a Ball Game" song?"

"…Yeah... well part of it." Elena drawled lowly as she remembered hearing Howard singing it incessantly a few times. The chorus was damn catchy.

Steve nodded in understanding as he launched into an explanation on the entire song. Katie Casey the girl who wanted her boyfriend to take her to a baseball game. Elena's eyes lit in understanding as he spoke on, sliding smoothly into tales about sneaking into the ballpark with his best friend to catch a Dodger game. It was the first easy conversation between the two of them that didn't pertain to small talk topics. They didn't stay much longer in Mrs. Alvarez's hospitality before Steve led her upstairs to the boys' apartment. Elena tried valiantly to ignore the knowing look in the older woman's eyes as they left.

Upstairs Bucky was hurrying to get ready. His shift had gone longer than usual for a Friday and he barely had time to clean himself up before Elena was due to arrive. He fumbled through his bureau drawers for a clean undershirt as he checked the small alarm clock that rested on top. He had memorized the train schedule the day before and was hoping to be at the station when her train came in...at least that was the plan if he could get dressed. He scowled lightly to himself as he pulled out a pair of slacks and tugged them on, briefly he wondered where the hell Steve was at and fervently hoped that his friend wouldn't ditch him tonight. He really wanted Steve to meet Elena.

As if reading his thoughts, the sound of steps echoing down the hallway entered the apartment. Bucky nearly sighed in relief as he finally heard the front door open from his room.

" - Lucky his nose wasn't broken. Caught the ball though. We tried to sneak back to the locker rooms to get it signed, but this old security guard ended up chasing us out. Bucky had this massive bruise for about a month after."

What?

Bucky turned toward his open door as he listened to Steve's recounting of their misspent youth as a quiet though very feminine chuckle followed. He raised a curious brow as he wondered who was with his surrogate brother. Distantly hoping that Steve had taken his advice and had found himself a date. He pulled on his undershirt as he called out, "Steve?"

"Here, Buck." Steve answered as Bucky stepped into the threshold of his room to peer out into the living area. He blinked in bewilderment as he caught sight of a familiar brunette next to his best friend.

"Ellie."

Elena smirked faintly, "Don't look so surprised, James. You knew I was coming over."

Bucky rolled his eyes at her as moved forward to greet her properly, not noticing Steve drifting towards his room, "Yeah, but I thought I would be able to get to the train station to meet you. When did you get here?"

He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to her mouth, smiling faintly as she hummed in appreciation, "Hi."

"Hi." She parroted back keeping her smirk in place before she remembered his question, "I had nothing to do today and thought I might head over early and explore the borough a bit." She leaned back and appraised his dressed down appearance with sly eyes, "I like this look. Very rolled out of bed approachable."

"More like hopped of the bath and rushed look. You walked all over Brooklyn by yourself?" Bucky snorted as he unconsciously smoothed a hand through his damp hair, pleased by her attention, but feeling tinges of concern at the thought of her wandering by herself in unfamiliar territory.

"No, I have a twin that follows me everywhere. Attached at my heels you might say." Elena drawled lightly as she eyed her shadow meaningfully before drawing her gaze to Bucky's feet, "Oh, would you look at that, you have one too."

A distant laugh had Bucky sending a glare to his surrogate brother's door before he scowled lightly at the woman before him, "Ha ha, this isn't the best neighborhood, El. What if you had gotten lost or somethin'?"

For her part, Elena wasn't sure if she was more amused or insulted over his concern as she quietly teased, "Or somethin?"

"You know what I mean." He replied gruffly as he tugged on her hand and stepped toward his bedroom to finish dressing.

He missed her eye roll as she followed lazily after him, taking in the apartment as she went. It was small, barely enough room to fit two people, but homey in a sparse kind of way. There were two old arm chairs in the living room that had seen better days, but were clean. A beat-up radio sat under the window and a rug that had once been red, but was more of a faded pink color rested between the chairs. They could do with a set of curtains for the window, but then she thought the same of her cousin's apartment before he let her decorate it. A few old photos and knick-knacks were scattered about that fairly screamed boy – she smiled fondly before leaning in the doorway to Bucky's room.

"This probably won't make you feel better, but I did get lost on my way here." She tried not to smile at the dim glare he sent her.

"Is that how you met Steve then?" Bucky silently hoped that was the case as he finished buttoning his shirt.

She shrugged, "In a roundabout way."

Bucky raised a brow, "What's that mean?"

"I was taken prisoner and the lovely Captain Steve came to my rescue." Elena murmured as she stepped forward to straighten his collar, "You know, we could just stay here tonight."

Bucky still felt a tinge wary at her words as he hummed curiously, "Taken prisoner by who?"

"Whom." Elena corrected unthinkingly as she ran a thoughtful finger over the buttons of his shirt. He trapped her finger before she could swoop too low, pulling a teasing grin to her lips as he stared at her pointedly, "Why I was rescued from the Mystic Mrs. Alvarez."

Bucky snorted and let go of her finger in favor of tiling her chin up to steal a kiss. The old woman downstairs was like a second mother to both Steve and Bucky and if there was anyone he would have Elena run into besides him and his best friend, it would be her, "Yeah, well you might be in more trouble with the Brigand than you were with the Mystic."

If it were possible Elena's grin widen in delight, "Is that so?"

"Oh yeah, might have to make you walk the plank." His steely grey-blue eyes twinkled darkly as she laughed lowly.

"Why Brigand Bucky, whatever could I do to make you reconsider?" She tried and failed to hold in another laugh as Bucky muffled his own amusement behind a fake cough.

His grin turned sly as he took her hand, "Well Miss. Turner, I suppose you'll just have to come out with me and Steve tonight. Private fun will have to wait."

Elena crinkled her nose in mock disappointment, "Well damn... You have a nasty habit of making me wait, James."

"Ahh, you enjoy it. Besides how else am I gonna get you to hang around, Miss. Wham-Bam?" He barely managed to duck out of the way of her half-hearted smack as he grinned impishly. He moved to put on the last of his clothes as she huffed beside him.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" She muttered resignedly, though the faint smile on her lips belied her amusement.

"Hell no." Bucky murmured, tugging on the laces of his shoes. He paused as a thought occurred to him, "You don't mind if Steve comes with us, do you?"

Elena shook her head as she remembered the blonde who had stalwartly stayed in his room after leaving her in Bucky's care, "Not at all. He's funny and far too much of a gentleman...kind of want to see what he's like after a few drinks."

"If you can get him to drink more than two glasses, I'd be amazed." Bucky muttered as he stood and grabbed his jacket, "Drunk Steve is a rare sight. I can only manage it when there's something to celebrate." Or something to mourn, but that was another issue entirely, "Dinner? I think we could all use some grub first, huh?"

"You're the leader here. I'm just following." Elena responded as he latched onto her hand and tugged her back out of his room, "We should pull your brother from his hidey-hole."

Bucky shot her a warm smile as he slipped from her side to grab Steve. It wasn't often that other people understood the bond between him and Steve. Sure, they were best friends, but they were also family. Family that he may have to manhandle out of the apartment. Now that he had Elena's approval there was no way he was letting Steve stay home alone tonight.

* * *

 **1928 Manhattan, New York**

"Stay close to me, Pigeon." Elena twisted about as her father's voice caught her attention. His deep blue eyes were watching her in amusement as he booked their tickets for the return train home and dealt with sending their luggage to a hotel, "I don't want to lose you in this crowd, alright?"

She nodded her head as she watched the people pass her curiously. It was her first time in the city and already it was so much different from Poughkeepsie. Louder, bigger and just more. She wasn't sure if she liked it, but Papa had wanted to do something special for her tenth birthday. Mother and Fergus would be joining them come Friday, but Papa had wanted to leave early. Elena could only assume he had business to do at his Manhattan offices...She wished Howard had been able to come. She couldn't remember a time when her cousin wasn't here for her birthday.

She sighed and fiddle with the hem of her skirt as she tried to keep herself still. Mother was always scolding her for fidgeting or wandering. She didn't want her Papa to do the same. Still, as she watched the passersby, she couldn't help but be lulled into the stream of movement. Her feet moved before she had a chance to think and she was pulled around the corner where a glint of a golden wooden cart caught her eye. She didn't make it three steps before the reproving voice of her father found her ear again. "Elena..."

She stopped and looked behind her with a hopeful smile, "Sorry, Papa."

He snorted and shook his head, knowing that if there had been a tree in the station his youngest probably would be up it already. Dresses be damned, Elena was determined to be a tomboy and prove she could do anything a boy could...including wandering off. He normally wouldn't mind it if they were at home, but Elena was small for ten and he didn't trust the crowds of the city. He looked instead to the cart that caught her attention and smiled, "Are you hungry, Pigeon?"

She bit back her own smile at hearing her nickname, knowing that her father had already forgiven her for not following his orders. She glanced back at the cart and shrugged, "A little."

"Well, we didn't have lunch and I suppose an early snack won't hurt your appetite for dinner." He held his hand out to her as he nodded toward the car, "Come on, we can share a pretzel."

Elena's eyes lit up, "With salt?"

"Of course!" Samuel chuckled as his daughter latched onto his hand. It was good to see her excited, he had worried on the train down at her apathetic attitude towards the trip. He had done the same trip with Fergus when he turned ten, his son had been over the moon with excitement... but not Elena. She had smiled and said thank you when he had brought it up to her, but that was it. No questions or demands on what to see or do, just acceptance. It wasn't like his little girl.

He quickly paid for their pretzel and found a bench where they could sit and enjoy it before he would have to find a cab, "So what do you want to see first?"

"Hmm?" Elena hummed through a mouthful of her pretzel as she blinked absently up at her father.

Samuel smirked at her chipmunk cheeks, knowing his wife would be horrified at the sight as he asked again, "What do you want to see while we're here? Want to go see the Statute of Liberty, Central Park?"

"Either's fine." Elena murmured quietly as she pulled another piece off her pretzel.

Samuel frowned thoughtfully, "Pigeon, it's your birthday this weekend. You know you can chose whatever you like?"

"I know, Papa." She murmured again as she finished off her half of the pretzel and smiled faintly.

Her father's frown only deepened, however, "You know we didn't have to do this trip if you didn't want."

"I know, Papa." Elena nearly rolled her eyes at her father as she kept her smile firmly in place. To him, she may have had a choice, but her mother had made it clear in her passively aggressive way that this trip would happen. Vitoria Turner never missed an opportunity to come to Manhattan. She loved to shop and be seen with the other New York socialites, which only meant that there would be more rules that Elena would have to remember and follow. It made Elena wonder how her father had ever convinced her mother to move to their small little town. Then there was her brother, Fergus, who would have gone out of his way to be absolutely wretched to her if this trip didn't happen. Saying yes was the easier option, "I just wish Howard was coming too."

"Howard is coming down on Friday with your Aunt Annalisa, Pigeon." Samuel reminded her softly, blinking when his daughter gazed at him sadly – as if he were a dope that needed the world explained to him. It wasn't a look that he particularly cared to see on her young face.

"Mother told Uncle Howard not to come." Elena said matter of fact, "She thinks Howard and I spend too much time together and it's making me an 'ill-mannered urchin to be spending so much time gallivanting with boys.' It's my punishment for what happened at Mary-Louisa's birthday party."

A swell of frustrated anger coursed through Samuel at his daughter's words. The monotone way in which she spoke belied the fact that she was parroting her mother's words verbatim. He tried hard to remember when Vitoria had become such a witch of a woman. Elena was ten, not twenty! He wanted to scream that she was just a child and Mary-Louisa had started the entire cake throwing debacle at her birthday, "Pigeon, did your mother tell you this?"

"No, she told Uncle Howard." Elena said pointedly as he remembered her starting her explanation with that fact. He eyed her somewhat sternly as she cracked, "...And I heard her from the sitting room."

In other words, she had been eavesdropping. He silently wished his brother, Leo, was present to hear this – he would have been smiling triumphantly and proudly at his niece's snooping antics. Leo, also had never been able to stand Vitoria and as time went on Samuel was beginning to understand why. It almost made him wish he had listened to his brother about marrying her, "You know you shouldn't eavesdrop."

"I know, Papa." Elena murmured with a small smile again.

Only this time Samuel could see true humor in her gaze. He snorted and held back a sigh as he tapped her nose, "Cheeky."

She giggled and titled her head away, "Can we see a baseball game? Howard said they're supposed to be amazing. I wanna get him a souvenir."

"We'll have to look for a schedule, but I don't see why not." Samuel answered, trying to remember if there were any games happening that week. He stood and offered his hand again, "However, I do believe it's time for us to get to our hotel, daughter of mine. We'll figure it out there, shall we?"

He also would need to place a phone call to the Stark home. Unlike his wife, he had no wish to deprive the cousins of each other's presence. Especially not on his daughter's birthday.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I know it's been awhile since I have posted. So much has happened lately. Since last time I was on, I found out that my company was being taken over by another company - mass layoffs occurred and then there was searching for a new job. I started a new job and had friends visiting. It's all been pretty...hectic is the nice word that I'll use, but writing has definitely taken a back seat lately, but I'm hoping that will change in the next few weeks. Sorry for the delay. Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this story. This chapter I wanted to focus more on the every day life kind of activities of the characters...nothing too dramatic. The next few chapters will be focused on progressing Bucky and Elena's relationship and how Howard and Steve fit in to it and then I will be moving on closer to events with WWII.

Special thanks to: **bellaphant, Guest,** and **LadyStrider17** for reviewing. I always appreciate feedback on the story. Thoughts and opinions are always welcome. Please read review and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own what is mine...which is basically just Elena.

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 **1937 Brooklyn, New York**

"Okay, bring your back foot up...like that." Bucky murmured as he tapped Elena's thigh before running light fingers down her arm to steady her elbow, "Don't rest on you shoulder – Good way to whap yourself in the head."

Elena wriggled slightly as she listened to his instructions. Teetering precariously as she tried to hold herself up. Admittedly, her sense of balance had become rather diminished when the last pint of beer had hit her system, "Standing on my toes is usually much easier for me."

A quiet snort of laughter rushed against her ear as Bucky eyed her stance, "Only need to arch you back foot up, El. Not stand on your toes... You ready?"

His steely eyes peered over her head to the wavering form of his inebriated surrogate brother. Amazingly, Steve had managed to forget his two-drink limit... not that he had realized he had forgotten his two-drink limit. Bucky had watched in quiet entertainment as Elena had somehow managed to keep Steve's glass from emptying and his brother from noticing he had only finished one glass the entire evening. Hell, Bucky hadn't noticed what she had been up to until she had poured some of her beer into Steve's in front of him. Bucky had become her partner in distraction after that, though Steve had cottoned onto her game not long before they left the bar. By that point the damage had been done as Steve swayed out the door. Now, he watched the couple in vague amusement as Bucky guided Elena into the proper hitting stance.

"I'm ready." Elena replied, false bravado coloring her tone for the first time that evening. Bucky wasn't fooled however, as he sent her an encouraging smile.

"Just keep your eye on the ball...well rock." Bucky advised lowly as he stepped out of the radius of her swing, "Batter up!"

Elena rolled her eyes as Steve grinned from his unofficial pitcher's mound. He waited a beat as Elena focused on the rock in his hand before he swung back for an underhanded pitch. The rock blossomed beautifully into the air and was missed by a mile as Elena swung her scrap of stick in mild panic. A small shriek spilling from her lips as she simultaneously tried to dodge the rock. At Bucky's quiet laugh a chagrinned smile spilled from her lips.

Steve couldn't help but call out, "It would help if you kept your eyes open."

"Oh...is that how you see?" Elena drawled dryly as she tossed the rock back to him. Bucky raised an appreciative brow. A shit batter she may make, but Elena had a pretty decent arm. She missed the next two pitches with similar results and much amusement from the boys, "I don't think baseball...sorry, baserock is for me."

Bucky shook his head with a small smile, inclined to agree with her even as he slid up behind her, "Probably." His smiled turned to a grin as she threw a waspish look back at him, "Turn. But Steve's also right. If you'd stop flinching every time the rock's thrown you might actually hit it."

"It's a rock. Who wouldn't flinch when its being thrown at you." Elena muttered disgruntled even as she let Bucky spin her back into position. She raised a curious brow when he didn't move away but placed his hands over hers as he pressed into her back, "You know there are easier ways to cop a feel."

"Is that an invite, Ellie?" Bucky asked lowly, his eyes darkening as she teasingly shifted against him.

"Standing offer actually." She murmured back with a sly grin.

A weary sigh broke the couple from their flirting. Bucky smirked sheepishly at his best friend, relieved when he caught the amused scowl in return. He tightened his grip over Elena's hands slightly, "One more, Stevie."

Steve nodded and picked up the rock again. Elena sighed and shrank back into Bucky as Steve lined up for his pitch. Bucky kept her in place, however, as he whispered, "Relax. It's not like he's aiming for your head."

"Oh, that makes me feel better." Elena grumbled as she tried to stay still. She felt like she was on the bad end of one of Howard's experiments every time Steve went to throw the rock. She hadn't had enough to drink for this. Before either could make another comment, Steve released the rock and Elena found herself holding her breath as it came barreling toward her and Bucky.

Bucky didn't hesitate as he pressed more firmly into Elena and swung through to hit the rock. The stiffness of her body made the pivot a little awkward, but the stick connected and the rock went skittering a few feet passed Steve. Elena peered forward curiously, barely noticing Bucky shifting his grip to her hips, "Huh... that wasn't so bad."

Steve snorted with laughter as her words made Bucky roll his eyes. He didn't dare mention that aside from holding the stick, she had done very little to hit the rock. She grinned eagerly up at Steve, "Can I try pitching?"

"As long as I'm not batting." Steve replied teasingly as he tossed her the rock. He stepped to be a few feet to her back right, knowing that was where Bucky usually batted, "Swing batter, batter! Swing, batter!"

Elena quickly covered their unofficial pitcher's mound as she muffled a laugh at Steve's antics. Bucky was not to be outdone as he twirled the batting stick, "Stepping up to the plate, the Great James B. Barnes. Number Six of the Brooklyn Dodgers. With a runner on second all Barnes needs to do is hit this out of the park to bring all runners home and this game will be over. The Dodgers victory is at hand."

Elena shared an unimpressed look with Steve as she asked sagely, "Should I just throw this at him?"

"I don't know. Do you think you could really hit the Dodger's victory hitter?" Steve asked dryly as he bit back a smirk at Bucky's dim glare, "If not, I could give it a shot."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Bucky scoffed lightly under his breath, "Barrel of laughs, the two of you. Ellie, you gonna pitch or what?"

Elena smirked, "Yes, Number Six. Sorry to keep you waiting. Can you swing for me, please?" Steve and Bucky frowned questionably at her at the request making her sigh, "I need to know where to aim this thing, since I don't think you want me to actually hit you with a rock."

Bucky shrugged and took a couple of practice swings, surprised to see the sharp focus Elena had gained. The drinking had left them all in a decently buzzed state, but she suddenly looked as sober as the morning sun, "Whenever you're ready, Princess."

She narrowed her eyes at him and for a brief second Bucky was sure he was about to be pinned with a rock. To both his and Steve's surprise, Elena's pitch was not underhanded, had she thrown an actual baseball Bucky was sure that he had just been given a curveball. He swung without thinking. The end of the stick collided nicely with the spin of the rock and Steve had to duck out of the way from the sharp path of the hard projectile. A smug smirk quirked at the edges of Elena's lips and Bucky turned stunned eyes to her form.

It only took a split second for him to connect the dots and point an accusing batting stick at the suddenly wary woman, "You know how to play baseball!"

Elena took a few scooting steps back as she attempted to place Steve between herself and James, "Never said I didn't know... You assumed."

Steve choked on a laugh at the incredulous disbelief that Bucky emitted at her words. He couldn't remember a time when his best friend looked so befuddled. However, he quickly recognized the playful glint that had entered Buck's steely eyes while Elena's only warning was the dropping of the stick before Bucky started after her. Her eyes widened comically as she finally managed to stumble behind Steve, "Steve, don't move!"

Not about to be used as a barricade, Steve snorted as he slipped from her grasp, "You're on your own, Elena."

"Traitor!" She cried before shrieking as Bucky managed to grab her. Her shrieks turned into laughter as he swung her around, "Put me down, you maniac!"

"Not until you admit that you are a liar, Miss. Turner!"

"Didn't lie!"

"Actually, omission is still technically a lie." Steve drawled from somewhere off to the side. Bucky was starting to make himself dizzy as he spun them around.

"Stop helping him!"

Steve chuckled and Bucky threw a conspiring glance towards his surrogate brother as he suddenly set Elena down and stepped, admittedly awkwardly, out of her reach letting her staggered towards her left before falling over. Bucky grinned widely as she giggled helplessly from her crumpled position on the grass. Unfortunately, he didn't realize how dangerously he had been teetering and Steve took his moment of distraction to reach out and nudge him. He fell with a quiet 'oof' and thud. Elena's laughter only becoming louder as Steve stepped around him and meander toward the park exit.

XxX

A quieter version of that laugh tickled James's ears hours later as he ran his fingers over her naked hip. His eyes met her twinkling orbs and a smug smirk crossed his lips as he spotted the lingering satisfaction in her gaze, "You wore out, princess?"

Elena's brow creased in annoyance at the pet name and it took all of her strength not to roll her eyes, "Fishing for compliments?"

Bucky shook his head as he shifted to press against her again. The feel of her soft curves against him was quickly becoming an addiction, "You were much...quieter this time. Wanna make sure you're okay."

Apparently, it wasn't the response that Elena expected as she peered at him curiously before a wide, pleased smile tugged at her mouth. For a moment, it felt like he had told her that he could make the bad disappear from the world with the smile she gave him. It was a good feeling, but still her reaction had him pausing in confusion. She took pity on him as her smile turned more amused and she tipped her head back towards his door, "You're sweet, but you have thin walls, James."

He frowned for a moment as he followed her gaze, "Didn't take you for the shy type."

"I'm not..." Elena murmured sleepily, "Your brother is, though."

Bucky snorted in amusement, "He's not stupid, Ellie. He knows what we're up to."

Elena raised a pointed brow as she responded dryly, "I made him uncomfortable enough tonight. I don't think we need to make it worse."

"What're you talking about?" Bucky grumbled, more interested in the beauty mark that rested on the curve of Elena's breast.

A thin veil of exasperation coated Elena's tone as she asked, "Were you there when Steve finally realized I had been refilling his glass?"

His recollection of the nights adventures was a little fuzzy, but by no means had he seen any discomfort from Steve. Reluctant though his surrogate brother had been to join them, his tolerating patience had given away to good humor and even true enjoyment.

"Yeah...So?" Bucky drawled as he recalled the mildly irritated scowl that Steve had flung at the couple before pushing his beer to Bucky. That had been the extent of his best friend's so-called discomfort.

Elena rolled her eyes, "So... Steve was talking to a couple of girls when he realized what happened. Someone said something or he said something and he became embarrassed. That's when he figured out that he had been drinking more than a couple of pints. Besides...I was the one that encouraged him to go talk to them."

James opened his mouth to protest but closed it again as he vaguely remembered the girls. He had seen them around the neighborhood...They weren't the nicest girls, but he had been much too preoccupied in getting Elena to dance with him to spare much concern, but Steve wasn't nearly as socially helpless as many people believed either. He turned a narrowed glare on her, "That was when you brought up baseball."

"Was it? Pretty sure that was you."

It was like a light had finally flickered to life in the back of his brain as he stared uncomprehendingly at the woman beside him, "No, that was you... You asked me a question and I grabbed Steve to prove my point and then we ended up in the park. You did that to give him an escape, didn't you?"

Elena shrugged, "Well, I couldn't figure out a better way for you to feel me up. You make a very handsome batting coach."

James snorted as he tangled his fingers into her mane, "Now, I know you're a liar – and as devious as the devil. You've still got a bit of halo showing, but well played, Miss. Turner."

She arched a brow and slid her leg between his thighs, "Don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Barnes. Now, shut up and kiss me."

"Bossy." Bucky murmured even as he leaned down to claim her lips in his. He drew his hands lightly down her arms for a second time that night, only this time he laced his fingers with hers. Carefully, he drew away from his exploration of her mouth to trail light nips to her ear, "Elena, I want to hear you. Don't be quiet."

He whispered the words, but he may as well have screamed them by the way Elena tensed against him. He met her gaze feeling the same rush of smug satisfaction at the wanton desire and surprise that had flamed in her blue orbs. He was thankful that she wasn't leery as a familiar heat began to pool in his stomach.

A feral grin painted his mouth as Elena whispered back, "Wear me out then, James."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 **1934 Brooklyn, New York**

He couldn't stop staring. Steve shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he watched the back of Catherine Robbins head. She had pulled her usually curly red hair into a loose braid. Her focus clearly on the class and taking as many notes as possible. She was smart and pretty and knew more about Tintin and Captain Blood than any girl he had ever met...and she had no clue that he existed.

She turned from her desk to pull more paper from her bookbag, allowing Steve to see a glimpse of her sparkling green eyes. He swallowed tightly and tried with all his strength to look away from the girl. It wouldn't do if Mr. Hemmings caught him staring during the lesson, he was the type of teacher to scold his students in the middle of class. The humiliation of being called out was not something the Steve needed to incur. Even as he pressed his pencil to paper, he still caught himself sneaking glances to her desk.

He was pathetic.

His distraction had not gone unnoticed by another as a piece of crumpled paper hit the back of his head. He quickly reached down to snag it before Mr. Hemming saw. Carefully un-crinkling the note, he nearly snorted in amusement as he read the content.

 _Hemming is about as interesting as a wall, but if you don't start paying attention you might actually fail a class._

 _Are you going to ask Catherine out this century?_

He turned a dim glare on his bored best friend, who merely raised a pointed eyebrow back. Steve was tempted to respond, but with ten minutes of class left it didn't seem worth it.

Bucky was one to talk about failing classes. He had barely made it to any class in the past week and was close to being put on academic probation...again. It had happened last year which was the only reason the two were in the same class now. Bucky was doing everything he could to scrape together enough money for release day. He only had another seven months before Saint Cat's officially forced him out into the world. While Steve understood his surrogate brother's need to be prepared, he certainly wished he would spend more time worrying about graduating from high school first. He didn't want to graduate without his best friend.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes, had Steve glancing toward Catherine again. He blanched as he caught her eye. A shy smile quirking the edges of his lips before he darted his attention back to his notes. A quite snort behind him, told Steve that Bucky had seen the entire thing. Sometimes, he really hated his best friend.

Mercifully, the bell rang and students quickly grabbed their belongings to rush out before Hemming could assign any further homework. Steve was a little slower. More willing to miss the crowd in the halls than to worry about additional assignments. Bucky fidgeted behind him in impatience and Steve smirked as he slowed down his packing.

"Mr. Barnes." A raspy voice called from the front of the classroom. Bucky cursed quietly under his breath and Steve tried to hold in a grin. He finally grabbed his bag and the duo meander to the front.

"Yes, Mr. Hemmings?" Bucky intoned warily as he stepped toward their professor's desk.

"Nice of you to join us today, Mr. Barnes. I trust your lingering was to set up a time to make up the test you missed on Monday?" The older man drawled slowly, not bothering to look up from the papers that scattered his desk until he pulled out a day planner.

If Steve hadn't been watching he would have missed the wince that crossed Bucky's face. He knew better than anyone that Bucky had no intention of staying after school to make up an exam. Mr. Hemmings, by the amused twinkle in his glassy hazel eyes, knew the same, "Sir, I'm not sure that I have time to make up an exam."

"Oh?" Mr. Hemmings murmured drolly, making it understood in that one word that he thought Bucky had no excuse.

"I work in the afternoons, Mr. Hemming." Bucky muttered uncomfortably under the professor's steady gaze.

"I see. Well, then you'll take your exam during lunch." Mr. Hemming stated soundly as he pulled his planner towards him to mark in a notation, "Friday will do. I expect to see you then, Mr. Barnes."

Steve choked on a muffled laugh at the dim look of horror in his best friend's eyes. He couldn't remember the last time Bucky had actually attended a class on a Friday, let alone stepped inside of school. Mr. Hemming must have heard his amusement as he turned his stern eyes on him, "Mr. Rogers, I'm sure that you can give Mr. Barnes your notes to study."

"Of course, sir." Steve muttered quietly as he raised a brow at Buck, already knowing that he wouldn't study.

Bucky rolled his eyes before nodding to their professor, "Excuse us, Mr. Hemming, but Steve and I had plans at the gym."

It sounded like an excuse to leave, but Steve grimaced as he remembered the boxing lessons that their Phys-Ed teacher was forcing on Steve after showing up to class one too many times with a black eye. He already knew how to throw a punch...he had enough dealt to him to be able to pick that much up. He had to wonder, however, if the boxing lessons were the reason Bucky had shown for class.

"Go on, then." Hemming dismissed with a wave of his hand.

The duo bid a quick farewell to the science professor as they hurried out the door, lest Hemming found another reason to detain them. Bucky scowled to himself as glare dimly over his shoulder toward the classroom. Steve wondered if his surrogate brother would even make it to his makeup test, "You actually gonna show?"

Bucky frowned and shrugged, "Probably. Hemming's one of the few teachers that'll track me down if he has to. I'll get the 'In all my years of teaching boy, no student has failed my class-' speech from the old coot if I don't show."

"Think it's true?" Steve asked curiously, "No one's ever failed Hemming's class?"

"Sure..." Bucky answered casually, "He's one of the few teachers that cares about his students here. Most of the others can't be bothered."

"You know that's not true." Steve argued halfheartedly, knowing a few teachers that did actually fit Bucky's description.

Bucky only snorted in response before turning his attention down the hall. He nudged Steve and nodded to the doors that lead to the girls' locker room. Catherine had just stepped out, dressed for pep squad practice, "Here's your chance, Stevie. Go ask her on a date already."

"Bucky..." Steve sighed as his eyes followed the redhead to the gym.

Bucky rolled his eyes, "Hey, Catherine hold up a minute, would ya?"

"Buck!" Steve hissed, even as his friend gave him a goading stare and began his trek towards Steve's crush. Steve knew that look...he hated that look. It meant trouble – usually for him. Swallowing a curse, he quickly trailed after Bucky already wishing he could disappear out the gym door. He was going to kill Bucky when they got back to Saint Cat's. Even as he thought it, he forced a small smile in greeting Catherine, "Hi Catherine."

"Hi Steve." Her vivacious green eyes missed nothing as she stared curiously at the pair, "Hey Bucky. What'd ya need?"

"Oh, I'm probably gonna be missing class the next couple of days and Steve only took a few notes today. Do you think he could borrow yours and I can grab the notes from him later?" Bucky asked with an easy grin.

Catherine raised a brow, "Don't you think it'd just be easier to come to class?"

"Depends on who're asking." Bucky drawled unconcerned by the suspicious look he was receiving. He was well aware of his reputation as a slacker and had no desire to change it, "What do you say?"

"I guess." Catherine said slowly as she turned toward Steve, "But only if you can give me a hand with my english homework, Steve. You were the only one to pass Mrs. Littleby's test last week and I could really use the help."

Steve stood a little taller, his smile becoming more genuine as he nodded, "Sure, no problem."

He didn't have a chance to say more as Bucky clapped his hands with a smirk, "Great, glad that's settled. Steve, I'll meet you in the gym... Thanks Cat."

He slipped inside the gym before the couple could say another word. Steve had to refrain from the sudden urge to sigh.

"You know you don't have to do him any favors, Steve." Catherine said softly, a muted look of concern dancing in her normally mischievous eyes.

Steve shook his head with a laugh as he realized that she probably thought that Bucky had bullied him into helping with his schoolwork, but that couldn't be further from the truth, "I'm not. He's doing me a favor actually."

Catherine frown, "What do you mean?"

"You don't need to give me any notes. Buck just said that to give me an excuse to come talk to you." He flushed a light red and tugged nervously on his ear, "I um... I've kinda liked you for a while."

He wasn't expecting the smug smile that painted her lips as Catherine tilted her head and murmured, "I know."

"You – you uh, you do?" Steve stammered surprised. Up until a few minutes ago, he had been sure that Catherine hadn't even known his name.

Catherine giggled, "Kinda hard not to notice...you stare a lot."

"Oh." Steve murmured embarrassed that he had been caught, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't." She replied grin still in place as she took a hesitant step toward the gym door, "I have practice, Steve...but umm Mel's after? We can grab a soda and maybe study?"

She looked hopeful and for a moment Steve was sure she could hear his heart pounding in his chest as he nodded, "Yeah, yeah that sounds good."

Catherine smiled impishly at him, "Good. I'll see you later."

She disappeared through the door and for a moment Steve was sure he was going to implode. He was going to Mel's with Catherine Robbins...the Catherine Robbins. Instead he grinned like an idiot as he finally followed after Bucky to the boys' locker room.

Now, he just had to put up with the unbearable amount of gloating from Bucky.


End file.
